Green Mobility in the Galápagos

Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands have a tourism-based economy reliant on diesel fuel and old, undersized port facilities. The collapse in tourism due to the pandemic highlighted the value of increasing the archipelago’s self-sufficiency by developing off-grid green transportation systems. To help leaders understand their options, Penn IUR recently published #GalápagosGoesGreen, a policy brief exploring the context, precedents, and possibilities for sustainable mobility on the cities of the Galápagos Islands.

The brief is a product of the City Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Financing Initiative (C2IFI), a cross-University initiative Penn IUR works on in conjunction with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy (KCEP) and Perry World House (PWH) to expand financing for climate-resilient urban infrastructure. Working with planners and officials in the Galápagos Islands, C2IFI researchers investigated sustainable transportation infrastructure investments focused mainly on the islands’ two largest town centers, Puerto Ayora and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, as well as the archipelago’s intra-island waters.

Researchers did this work to support the islands’ vision to transition from fossil fuel dependency to clean energy options (as expressed in its Zero Fossil Fuel Initiative, 2007); this vision expresses the intent to preserve the archipelago’s unique ecosystem, protect it from the effects of climate change, and ensure healthy communities—while maintaining its valuable tourism economy.

#GalápagosGoesGreen outlines suggestions for realizing this vision through energy grid improvements, non-fossil fuel vehicles, and financial mechanisms. The brief frames the challenges and possibilities leaders face, situates options within the political and economic context, and offers case studies from around the world.

As part of C2IFI, Penn IUR is also developing a practical guide for mayors around the world focusing on cities' specific strategic and policy concerns with links to partner sources for detailed advice and information on financing opportunities, with a special focus on a green and just recovery from the pandemic. Research in the Galápagos Islands is part of this larger project, as is another early-stage infrastructure research project in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Learn more about Penn IUR’s work with C2IFI here.