Workshop on sustainable transport and mobility for a low-carbon energy transition

Organized in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel in the Azores, the Green Overseas Program's workshop on sustainable transport and mobility brought together representatives from 13 Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) over three days to focus on a common goal: accelerating the transition to sustainable and inclusive mobility. Hosted in a unique island environment, this meeting provided an opportunity to address the concrete challenges of transport electrification, share best practices, and discover innovative solutions implemented on the ground.
A veritable living laboratory for energy transition, the Azores archipelago was the ideal setting for this highlight of the Green Overseas Program. A pioneering territory in the development of tourism and sustainable transport, the region has been pursuing ambitious policies for several years, including a centralized public transport purchasing system to enhance network accessibility and efficiency, an Electric Mobility Plan supporting the deployment of recharging infrastructures, and a national strategy for climate-resilient transport by 2030.
The workshop began with an official introduction by Francisco Duarte da Silva Bettencourt, Regional Director of Mobility, who welcomed participants and laid the foundations for future exchanges. From the very first day, representatives from each OCT shared the specific challenges facing their territories, as well as the projects already underway to address them.
The Th!nk E team presented the main findings of the GO ETC Catalog, available on the Green Overseas Programme platform, which brings together case studies and highlights innovative public policies, experiences in electrifying public and private fleets, as well as an international maritime hybrid vessel project. Each of the case studies details the measures implemented, the impacts observed and the lessons learned - all useful lessons for territories wishing to commit further to the low-carbon transition.
The workshop was marked by interactive working sessions, centered on the development of problem trees and objective trees, enabling participants to collectively identify avenues for concrete solutions. The focus then shifted to technological aspects, with a second day devoted to electromobility, active mobility and strategic infrastructure planning. Joana Rita, Regional Director of Energy for the Azores, shared the example of Graciosa, a model for the integration of renewable energies in transport. Adrian Dill, Director of Energy in Bermuda, presented the electrification strategy for public transport in his territory, as well as the energy savings generated.
Participants also discovered several state-of-the-art infrastructures from operator EDA - Eletricidade dos Açores. A visit to a bi-directional charging facility (Vehicle-to-Grid), provided a concrete illustration of the role that electric vehicles can play in the stabilization of a power grid, as did a presentation of a battery storage system (BESS), essential for securing the integration of renewable energies. A visit to the Pico Vermelho geothermal power plant also provided a deeper understanding of the potential of this local, continuous and sustainable energy source, which supplies the island with electricity via a 10 MW binary cycle system.

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To close this workshop, Francisco Bettencourt presented the efforts undertaken to electrify the maritime links between the islands of Faial, Pico and São Jorge. A visit to the port of Ponta Delgada illustrated energy efficiency initiatives, and the Th!nk E team highlighted possible strategies for mobilizing local stakeholders in implementing the transition to sustainable mobility. The event fostered a frank and constructive exchange around successes and obstacles alike, in a spirit of mutual learning and collective innovation.