The Latin American and Caribbean Organization of Energy (OLACDE) held the webinar “Progress in Sustainable Mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean,” a technical forum aimed at strengthening capacities, sharing good practices, and promoting cooperation among member countries.
During the opening remarks, Gloria Alvarenga, OLACDE’s Director of Integration, Access and Energy Security, underscored the strategic importance of these collaborative spaces and recalled that the OLACDE Technical Groups were approved by member countries in 2023, based on the Lima Agreement and the decisions adopted by the Board of Experts and the Meeting of Ministers of Energy. “We are promoting the creation of technical groups to strengthen capacities and share good practices across the region,” Alvarenga stated, affirming that this mechanism makes it possible to advance shared priorities and promote sustainable solutions through direct exchange between institutions and specialists.
Subsequently, Fitzgerald Cantero, OLACDE’s Director of Studies, Projects and Information, highlighted the growing prominence of sustainable mobility on national agendas. He noted that, following an analysis of regional trends and the evolution of OLACDE’s Electric Mobility Monitor, the organization decided to deepen its study and develop the Sustainable Mobility White Paper, available in Spanish and English. “Sustainable mobility has become a central issue in our countries; that’s why we developed the White Paper to deepen its study,” he said, also thanking the countries and experts who contributed to the process. The event also featured opening remarks from OLACDE’s Executive Secretary, Andrés Rebolledo, who highlighted the importance of building a shared energy agenda that drives innovations and solutions for cleaner, more inclusive, and more resilient mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean.
During the webinar, experiences were presented by various countries and organizations involved in the transition toward sustainable mobility. Hernán Nilo Fernández spoke about electromobility in the region, highlighting the incentives that have accelerated the adoption of electric vehicles in Colombia, Chile’s leadership in electric buses and successful public-private models, and the need to advance standardization, charging infrastructure, and technical training with a gender focus. María Dolores Ortiz Sánchez shared Madrid’s experience, centered on the Madrid 360 Strategy, the expansion of active mobility systems such as BiciMAD, and the pedestrianization of public space. Rachel Henriques presented Brazil’s progress, where 11% of vehicle sales already correspond to electrified units, driven by tax incentives, circulation benefits, and the integration of solar panels for home charging. From Uruguay, Antonella Tambasco highlighted that the country has surpassed 11,000 electric vehicles in 2025, is driving the expansion of charging points, promoting a new sustainable urban policy, and advancing regulations on circular economy for battery management, in close regional cooperation. Finally, Felipe Quirama, from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), emphasized that decarbonizing transportation requires strengthening electromobility, energy efficiency, public transportation, and active mobility, in addition to promoting open data and gender equity as central pillars of the transition.
With this webinar, OLACDE reaffirms its commitment to developing sustainable solutions, energy integration, and strengthening regional capacities to accelerate the transition toward cleaner, more modern transportation systems with less environmental impact. The work of the Sustainable Mobility Technical Group will continue generating tools, analyses, and exchange spaces that allow countries to move forward together toward more efficient and sustainable mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean.
