Beating pollution in metro Manila with e-mobility

Project goal: Promoting electromobility in urban areas. 

Project implementation: Ten cities, including Pasig in the Philippines, have been chosen as "living labs" for Urban Pathways, an international sustainable transport initiative. Under another project, two- and three-wheeled vehicles are being integrated into urban transport systems. 

Budget: Germany's Environment Ministry is providing €3,499,544 for the Urban Pathways project and €3,333,500 for the two- and three-wheelers project within the framework of its International Climate Initiative (IKI). 

Project partners: UN-Habitat, Wuppertal Institute, UN Environment Program, Clean Air Asia, Solutions Plus. 

Project duration: Both IKI projects are running from 2017 – 2021. 

The Philippine city of Pasig was once a rural settlement. Now it's been subsumed into the metro Manila area, which is home to some 12 million people. Traffic there is usually bumper-to-bumper, with old vehicles pumping out emissions that add significantly to air pollution. 

A poorly developed public transport system has made matters worse, forcing many residents to use private vehicles to get to their destinations instead of opting for buses or trains. 

Now several international programs are working with people on the ground to promote greener, cleaner urban transport, including a pilot project providing small electric vans and bikes for the Philippine Postal Corporation. Philippine car company ToJo Motors is also helping to develop electric vehicle tailor-made for the local market.

A film by Julia Henrichmann and Inky Nakpil