Technological development and innovation play a key role in achieving the proposed goals for 2030. For example, through distributed renewable energy generation, smart grids, and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation solutions, build as foundations for energy transition and climate change mitigation (SDG 7 and SDG 13). Energy efficiency measures in the transport sector, such as the insertion of electric vehicles, contribute to the sustainability of cities (SDG 11). Digital technologies, in turn, act transversally in these sectors, enabling new business models, in addition to more precise information on the characteristics of the population, through the collection and processing of an increasingly expressive amount of data.
The main objective of the Green Tech Talks project is to promote greater knowledge and debate on the implementation of technologies with disruptive potential in Latin American cities, stimulate critical analysis and produce exclusive content (based on scientific development) in favor of sustainable development to be spread in society.
At the 1st Green Tech Talks Seminar: "Sustainable development in Latin America: contribution of photovoltaic generation", held on June 22, the theme of green technology for the energy transition in Latin American cities was addressed, especially to face the social, economic and environmental challenges of photovoltaic energy in the region, together with the presence of experts Carolina Mesa, Project Coordinator at ICLEI Colombia , Ilan Cuperstein, C40 Regional Vice Director for Latin America and Miguel Lara, Director Renewable Energy Development Department of Atlas Renewables Energy de México, who work in regulatory strategy and planning institutions.
We saw that, in several cities in Latin America, photovoltaic technology is inserted into innovative business models, including through the growing interfaces with electromobility. The possibilities of social impact in low-income communities are added, where photovoltaic panels are installed with the active participation of the community, even generating new jobs. The transformation from consumer to prosumer (producer and consumer), in turn, poses new challenges for regulators and distributors, while digital network management technologies enable promising advances in electrical system efficiency.
At the 2nd Green Tech Talks Seminar: "Digital Technologies for Sustainable Development in Latin America", held on August 10, the theme of green technology in the energy transition in Latin American cities was addressed. Digital technologies, in turn, are seen as essential to catalyze progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and contributions to the Paris Agreement, often acting across sectors. In the energy, mobility and smart and sustainable cities segments, in particular, digital technologies are diffused in a multi-player ecosystem and innovative business models with the potential to reduce GHG emissions and local pollutants, increase energy efficiency. and rationalize the use of resources, counting on the growing participation of consumers and for their benefit.
In this event, experts such as Rosana Rodrigues dos Santos, Director of Strategy and Regulatory Planning at Enel in Brazil; Edgar Barassa, Founder of Barassa & Cruz Consultoría in Brazil; Sebastián Rovira, Director of Economic Affairs of ECLAC in Chile, and with Leonardo Neves of FGV moderating, brought a series of enriching points in the transition to digitization with strategic sectors in the region that concatenate with accelerating their economies to a technological sustainability model. In summary, given the critical situation of the social gap in the region, it is essential to massify the use of digitization in all its dimensions within a country because it can improve access to technologies in productive sectors in a transversal way, enhance the capacity for use technology in the transport sector as a catalyst in generating employment and accelerating the transition of the energy matrix.
At the 3rd Green Tech Talks Seminar: "Implementation of electric buses in Latin America", held on September 30, we addressed the issue of modernization and technological integration of vehicular electrification in the urban transport system for a better service to the population , especially in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in this sector and contribute to climate resilience.
We had the opportunity to listen to renowned experts in the region, such as Diego Aulestia, Head of the Human Settlements Unit of ECLAC in Chile; Carmen Araujo, ICCT Brazil General Director and Heloisa Schneider, Consultant on Sustainability and Climate Change, who made a great contribution to the debate.
Projects such as “The great impulse for sustainability”, by ECLAC, are very important, where it shows that transport mobility in urban services has an extensive value chain, which is in continuous evolution, it is also a A vital planning instrument for strengthening social equity and development policies in increasing investment rates in cities and regions. Likewise, it has the potential to achieve economic and social ends with the right to the city, health and the environment, employment productivity, land valuation and quality of life that benefit different populations; therefore, it is a multisector with both goods and services.
Electromobility and, more specifically, the electric bus is a topic of special importance, as it is closely related to the aforementioned SDGs and has broad environmental, social and economic impacts. In the Latin America and the Caribbean Region, 80% of the population lives in urban areas and public transport is responsible, on average, for 68% of the passenger trips made, playing a role in the democratization of space and opportunities for citizens (UNITED NATIONS, 2020). Maintaining the representativeness of public transport in the region, in the face of an increase in per capita income, requires the modernization of the services provided to meet the needs of the population with safety, quality and sustainability. This is, therefore, an opportune segment for vehicular electrification.
We have the active collaboration of Natalia Moraes, ABRAPS director of the Rio de Janeiro nucleus, in which she coordinates the GT-Sustainable Cities, and Rafael Boraschi, ABRAPS director of the Rio de Janeiro nucleus and who coordinates the GT-Renewable Energies, for development of this project and at the end of this year we will present the publication that is being developed with the knowledge built and the conclusions obtained from these seminars.
