Port Vila, Vanuatu, 13 March 2026 – The Government of Vanuatu in conjunction with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) launched the project on “Support to the Acceleration of Sustainable Land Transport in Vanuatu” at the project inception workshop held in Port Vila. Vanuatu is on track through the project to promote and increase the uptake of electric vehicles in the country.   

The Inception Workshop brought together representatives from government ministries, development partners, private sector stakeholders and civil society to discuss the project’s objectives, review the project implementation plan, align priorities and ensure that everyone fully understands the project, their roles and responsibilities and are on the same page.  

This new initiative supports national efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the road transport sector, improve air quality, and enhance energy security by reducing consumption and reliance on increasingly expensive imported fossil fuels. Electric Vehicles is still a new technology in Vanuatu that needs to be tested with appropriate policies and infrastructure, but it is increasingly popular around the world because of its benefits. 

The project is being co-executed jointly by the Department of Energy and the Ministry of Climate Change in partnership with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).  It is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) 8 working hand in hand with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the implementing agency under its Global Program for Net Zero Mobility that aims to decarbonize the transport sector.  

Land transport is one of the fastest-growing challenges in Vanuatu. The number of vehicles keeps increasing every year, and the country relies heavily on imported fuel, purchasing over 60 million litres every year at the cost of over USD 60 million annually. Rising fuel costs and usage make transport expensive and increases the country’s trade deficit, growing number of vehicles increase pressure on roads, and pollution affects people’s health. 

Speaking at the opening of the inception workshop, the Director General of the Ministry of Climate Change, Mr. David Gibson, emphasized that the time to act is now. “The number of vehicles in Vanuatu is growing fast. If we keep going this way, by 2030 we could have 10,000 vehicles on our roads. We need to make transport cleaner, safer, and more affordable for everyone,” he said. 

GGGI Regional Director for the Pacific, Mr. Sakiusa Tuisolia, said, “This project reflects our shared commitment to move from strategy and policy dialogue toward action, delivering tangible climate mitigation and tangible benefits that advance green and inclusive growth and climate action for the peoples of Vanuatu.”  

The inception workshop marks an important first step in the implementation of the project, setting the foundation for collaboration and concrete actions to promote electric mobility, cleaner air and sustainable transport systems at a time when future global energy supply is uncertain, unsecure and is becoming increasingly expensive with widespread economic costs and implications for small and vulnerable island states like Vanuatu. 

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For more information, visit:  https://gggi.org    

GGGI Pacific (Regional Office)    

Anant Jha 

Senior Officer, Pacific Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Pacific  

anant.jha@gggi.org

Kelly Vacala, Regional Communications & Knowledge Sharing Lead  

kelly.vacala@gggi.org