Driver (Nationals only)

While Samoa’s contribution to global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions is negligible, climate change mitigation remains a critical government priority in light of the already felt and predicted increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The transport sector in Samoa, which is entirely dependent on fossil fuels, is the country’s largest emitter of CO2, accounting for 27.4% of GHG emissions (based on Samoa’s National GHG inventory, 2020). Reliance on energy-dense fossil fuels is expected to render decarbonization of the transport sector particularly difficult. Transport demand has grown in parallel to economic development, and with structural changes, it grows faster than that of other sectors. Whilst some interventions to decarbonize the transport sector in Samoa have initiated, efforts remain fragmented due to a lack of investment and coordination across ministries, agencies, development partners, financial entities, private businesses, and individuals.

In order to meet Samoa’s Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target to reduce national GHG emissions by 26% from 2007 levels by 2030 (equivalent to 91 Gg CO2e), the rapid decarbonization of both land and maritime transport systems is fundamental. Research-based evidence, best practices and lessons learned globally indicate that a number of interventions can catalyze the paradigm shift required 2 to decarbonize the transport sector, including electrification of transport systems, along with supportive policy and business model innovations to catalyze systemic electrification.

The project Climate Action Pathways for Island Transport (CAP-IT): Accelerating the Decarbonization of Samoa’s Land and Maritime Transport Sectors, funded by the Government of Japan, aims to promote urgent and inclusive transformation of the land and maritime transport sectors towards decarbonization by accelerating the uptake of electrical vehicles and outboard motors in support of the achievement of Samoa’s enhanced NDCs for the energy and transport sector by 2030. This will be achieved through a three-fold approach:

1. Creating an enabling environment through strengthened and gender-sensitive institutional governance, financial, legal, and technical capacities for accelerating the decarbonization of both land and maritime transport systems; 
2.  Accelerating inclusive decarbonization of the land transport sector with a focus on adoption and imports of electric vehicles and accessible electrification service networks targeting public transport and public service delivery vehicles; and; 
3.  Introducing and piloting low-carbon outboard motors for Samoa’s fishing fleet through a gender sensitive grant mechanism for local fisherfolk and training scheme on installation, operation, and maintenance. CAP-IT is implemented through the UNDP Direct Implementation Modality (DIM), with some activities to be delivered by national implementing entities as Responsible Parties (RPs) contracted by UNDP69+