Africa: Growing momentum for sustainable transport
A rising number of African civil-society organisations are dedicated to climate-neutral mobility, a new survey of Agora Verkehrswende finds. African governments can benefit from the strategies and solutions developed by these organisations, which see sustainable funding as the largest hurdle to their work.
25 September 2025. Berlin, 25 September 2025 – The momentum for climate-neutral mobility in Africa is growing as an increasing number of NGOs, universities, and think tanks take an active interest in climate protection in the transport sector. This is the key finding from a survey of African organisations conducted by the Berlin-based think tank Agora Verkehrswende. According to the study’s authors, civil-society organisations can play a crucial role in promoting the transition to sustainable transport by providing evidence-based policy advice. The African organisational landscape is experiencing dynamic growth, as more than half of the surveyed organisations were founded within the last ten years. Most of these organisations see the challenge of obtaining stable, long-term funding as the single greatest obstacle to their work. The survey participants also see significant potential for change in greater collaboration between African civil-society stakeholders dedicated to sustainable transport.
Naville Geiriseb, Senior Associate for International Cooperation at Agora Verkehrswende says, “African countries are poised to experience rapid growth in transport demand. Accordingly, they have a unique opportunity to transition faster than the Global North by leapfrogging directly to sustainable technologies. Pursuing such a strategy will not only reduce their dependence on fossil fuels but also bring economic and technological benefits. An increasing number of organisations are developing effective strategies and solutions on the ground in local contexts. Governments should take advantage of this source of innovation. However, change can only occur given strong local and global partnerships in combination with reliable financing.”
A broad survey: 32 organisations in 12 countries
Conducted in the spring of 2025, the survey queried 32 organisations in 12 African countries. One-third of them are involved in both the mobility transition – that is, on the expansion of shared and active transport, a category that includes buses, motorcycles, bicycles, and walking – and the electrification of transport. Among the organizations that primarily work on one of the two topics, a larger proportion focus on the mobility transition. Almost without exception, the surveyed organisations view political decision-makers – usually at the national level – as the primary audience for their work.
Most of the surveyed organisations rely minimally on national funding. This independence can support their ability to provide impartial policy advice, the authors note. However, two-thirds are dependent on international donors. The need for sustainable financing was by far the most frequently mentioned challenge. The survey participants also see significant potential in greater collaboration between like-minded African organisations. The formation of a dedicated platform for African organisations could help to pool expertise, strengthen partnerships, and attract investors, the study concludes.
Setting a course for growing motorisation
With an average of 40 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants, Africa currently has one of the world’s lowest motorisation rates. However, the continent’s middle class is expected to triple in size by 2050. Economic development and population growth will increase the demand for mobility, causing motorisation rates to rise. By charting a course now, African governments can decouple carbon emissions from transport demand. The key is to invest in climate-friendly mobility, including not just the electrification of private and public vehicle fleets, but also expanded reliance on shared and active transport.
Read the study
The full study, titled “Joining knowledge forces for sustainable transport policies in Africa. An initial stocktake of think tanks, NGOs and academic institutions from across the continent”, is available here for download.
About Agora Verkehrswende
Agora Verkehrswende is a Berlin-based think tank that seeks to promote climate-friendly mobility. Non-partisan and non-profit, it works together with key stakeholders in the fields of politics, business, academia, and civil society to decarbonise the transport system. To this end, the think-tank team develops evidence-based policy strategies and recommendations. Agora Verkehrswende was initiated in 2016 by Stiftung Mercator and the European Climate Foundation.
