Millions of used cars, vans, and minibuses exported from Europe, the United States, and Japan to low- and middle-income countries are of poor quality, hindering efforts to mitigate air pollution and combat climate change. Recognizing that more than half of the world’s exports in used light-duty vehicles go to the African continent, the Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP) and African Road Safety Observatory (ARSO) partnered with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to organize this webinar, which advocates for the import of safer and cleaner used vehicles to Africa while also delving into the issue of vehicle maintenance across the continent.

During the webinar, speakers review and discuss the findings of the newly launched UNEP report entitled Used Vehicles and the Environment – A Global Overview of Used Light-Duty Vehicles: Flow, Scale, and Regulation, which provides an overview of the global trade in used vehicles and calls for action to regulate it through the adoption of a set of harmonized minimum quality standards. A complementary study on the quality of used vehicles exported to Africa conducted by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) of the Netherlands will also be presented.

After the presentations, a panel of discussants deliberate on the implications for Africa from a regulatory and implementation perspective and propose a way forward to address the issues. Ultimately, the event aimed to provide a platform for African authorities, NGOs, leaders, and experts on vehicle inspection, road safety, and sustainable mobility to share their perspectives on the used vehicles market, and the need to regulate and manage it.