Brazil has launched the €80 million Brazil E-Bus Credit Enhancement Fund, a public–private initiative aimed at accelerating the electrification of public transport systems across the country. The program seeks to deploy more than 1,700 zero-emission buses and supporting charging infrastructure in several Brazilian cities by 2030.
The fund is designed to mobilize around €450 million in private investment and reduce financial risk for lenders, enabling cities and bus operators to access more affordable financing. It combines public and philanthropic first-loss capital with an anchor investment from Brazilian investment bank BTG Pactual, which is contributing €24 million.
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“This initiative represents a practical step toward cleaner and more efficient urban mobility,” said Roberto Sallouti, CEO of BTG Pactual. “Supporting the transition from diesel to electric buses helps reduce emissions, improve air quality, and modernise public transport systems.”
Announced during COP30 in Brazil, the scheme is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Ministry of Cities, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Mitigation Action Facility, and WRI Brasil. The Mitigation Action Facility has also provided project preparation funding to WRI Brasil for a €25 million support programme, including €16 million in first-loss capital and €9 million for technical assistance.
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“The Brazil E-Bus Credit Enhancement Fund is envisaged as a pivotal step toward sustainable urban mobility,” said Dr Sören David, Head of the Technical Support Unit at the Mitigation Action Facility. “By supporting operators in the transition from internal combustion to electric buses, it seeks to reduce emissions, strengthen local manufacturing, and foster knowledge sharing across cities.”
Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, said the collaboration shows how local and private sector leadership can drive national progress. “This fund will help to deploy zero-emissions buses in cities across the country, while also sending a message to the world that when it comes to global progress, the more nations look to local and private sector leaders as full partners, the faster we’ll move,” he said. Brazil’s Minister of Cities, Jader Barbalho Filho, added that the initiative “exemplifies how the urban agenda is not only central to achieving our climate goals, but also instrumental in driving mitigation, adaptation, and resilience measures.”
Source: Bloomberg