Electric mobility offers a critical opportunity for action out of the G20

The declaration aligns with the overarching themes of the G20’s priorities and is rooted in the African philosophy of Ubuntu.

“Local air quality is one of the significant improvements made by electric mobility adoption,” says executive director of The Electric Mission, Hiten Parmar. “Removing tailpipe emissions from all modes of road transport, with electric mobility, has a major influence on cleaning the air within urban environments, specifically in crowded urban centres.”

The Business 20 (B20) brings together business leaders from G20 member countries, as one of the most influential G20 engagement groups. The B20’s Industrial Transformation and Innovation Task Force submission to the G20 Presidency draws parallels with India, relevant to the adoption of electric vehicles in emerging economies. ‘Led from Africa, shared with the world’ is the official slogan and theme for the B20 South Africa 2025 Presidency, which marks the first time an African country has hosted the G20 and B20 forums.

“Each country must develop their strategy on the transition to zero emission vehicles as the key technology to decarbonize the road transport sector” says Parmar. “Taking valuable resources from India’s experience across their electric vehicle transition is a key parallel for South Africa, and other regions which also host well-established automotive industries.”

With the global challenges of economic development, climate change, and air pollution, the transition to electric mobility presents a critical opportunity for transformation from business as usual. The transport sector accounts for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the G20 declaration creates an opportunity for e-mobility to make a significant impact in reducing this.

"Fuel efficiency and vehicle emission standards set fleet-wide performance benchmarks, encouraging manufacturers to innovate, whether through more efficient combustion technology or a faster transition to electric vehicles,” says Parmar. "Strong, predictable technical standards will provide manufacturers with long-term clarity, and ensure vehicles entering the market align with national strategies and industry masterplans."

With the right mix of demand and supply policies, the electric mobility transition can deliver multiple dividends, including reduced oil imports, new employment opportunities, and leadership in a rapidly expanding global market.