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BACKGROUND NOTE
Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activities in Latin America

1. Energy Efficiency in Artisanal Brick Kilns in Latin America

Summary
The Energy Efficiency in Artisanal Brick Kilns in Latin America (EELA) program reduces the
carbon footprint of traditional brick making, while at the same time improving the
businesses of local artisans. In several Latin American countries, artisanal brick-makers
traditionally use highly polluting fuel, in kilns that need a lot of it. Wood, tires and plastics
are just some of the fuel used to fire bricks. This pollutes the air and contributes to
deforestation. By installing new, energy-efficient kilns, brick-producers have cut down their
fuel consumption and carbon emissions by almost 50 per cent.

EELA is an initiative of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), which is
implemented by Swisscontact (Regional Coordination) and its partners in seven countries
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in
Latin America.

Fast facts:
EELA teaches brick makers how to use energy-efficient brick kilns and how to use
better, cleaner fuels to fire bricks, helping create a better product for their market;

Between 2010 and 2013, EELA enabled 400 brick producers to reduce CO2 emissions
by 85,000 tonnes per year and increased their income by 10 per cent;

By 2016, EELA aims to reach nearly 4,300 brick producers in order to reduce CO2
emissions by 830,000 tonnes per year and increase their income by USD 10,646,374;

Within the seven countries where EELA intervenes, there are more than 48,000
artisanal brick producers, who are responsible for 30 to 50 per cent of domestic
brick production and contribute significantly to the growth of the construction
industry, one of the drivers of the regions economic boom in the past few years.

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Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Mexico
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2. The Buses of Brazil

Summary
The Buses of Brazil uses mobile broadband to improve the efficiency of its buses and attract
more people to switch from private vehicles to public transport in the city of Curitiba, Brazil.
This has reduced traffic congestion, fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

The Curitiba bus system is a model bus rapid transit system, and plays a large part in the
citys liveability. The buses run frequentlysome as often as every 90 secondsand reliably,
and the stations are convenient, comfortable, and attractive. As a result, Curitiba has one of
the most heavily used, low-cost transit systems in the world.

Around 70 per cent of Curitibas commuters use the bus system to travel to work, resulting
in congestion-free streets and pollution-free air for the more than 3 million inhabitants of
greater Curitiba.

Fast facts:
A machine-to-machine communication solution gives the Curitiba public transport
authority a wide range of information about its fleet. It can now monitor bus routes,
time spent at bus stops, speed, distance travelled, and times for arrival and
departure;

It was estimated that the introduction of the bus rapid transit system reduced car
trips by 27 million per year;

Compared to eight other Brazilian cities of its size, Curitiba uses about 30 per cent
less fuel per capita, resulting in one of the lowest rates of ambient air pollution in
the country;

About 1,100 buses make 12,500 trips every day, serving more than 1.3 million
passengers50 times the number from 20 years ago.


3. EcoCasa | Mexico

Summary
Rapidly expanding cities in Mexico are bringing with them increased energy demand and
inefficient transport patterns. Mexicos residential sector currently accounts for about 16
per cent of total energy use and 26 per cent of total electricity use. But sustainable housing
requires investment. The EcoCasa initiative is helping Mexico tackle climate change by
unlocking financing to build low-carbon housing and increasing the amount of mortgages for
this housing.

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Providing financing to build more sustainable houses will help lower energy consumption
and spending, cut greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen government policies and
initiatives.

Fast facts:
A poorly designed house in a hot climate can use an additional 1,000 kWh per year,
resulting in about 600 kg of CO2 released into the atmosphere. By increasing both
the production of low-carbon housing and the supply of mortgages for this housing,
EcoCasa is helping Mexico to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions;

In its first seven years EcoCasa is helping build 27,600 houses and finance an
additional 1,700 "green" mortgages;

The initiative intends to reduce about one million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in its
first seven years;

EcoCasa is also building support for the development of public policies for low-
carbon housing.


4. Alliance for International Reforestation | Guatemala

Summary
The Alliance for International Reforestation promotes tree planting to sequester carbon and
improved farming techniques, such as preventing erosion, improving yields and increasing
crop diversity. The activity also builds efficient brick stoves with chimneys that reduce both
the negative health impacts caused by smoke inhalation and the need to cut down trees for
fuel.

The women-led project offers training and tools to women farmers in Guatemala. The trees
planted by the women prevent mudslides and soil erosion, clean the air, provide shade and
sequester carbon, which helps mitigate climate change.

Fast facts:
More than 500,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions have been sequestered since 2000;

4 million trees have been planted in Guatemala;

150 villages have benefitted from this activity;

820 new efficient stoves have been built reducing the use of firewood by half and
conserving and average of five trees per year per stove.


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5. IFADs Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme | Bolivia

Summary
Smallholder farmers make up a significant percentage of global land users but they are a
challenging group to reach, and they often lack access to investments, knowledge and
information. The Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP) channels
climate finance to smallholder farmers so they can access the tools and technologies that
help build their resilience to climate change. Launched by the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), ASAP is the worlds largest climate change adaptation
programme for smallholder farmers, reaching millions of smallholders worldwide.

Fast facts:
ASAP empowers smallholder famers and community-based organizations to make
use of new climate risk management skills, information and technologies and
combine them with tried and tested approaches to sustainable land and water
management;

As of May 2013, ASAP investments have been approved for Bangladesh, Bolivia,
Djibouti, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Mali, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Rwanda, Viet
Nam and Yemen;

As of February 2014, total commitments from eight donor countries amounts to USD
353 million. Of this amount, USD 298 million is available for programming and up to
USD 50 million is in the form of conditional finance;

Improved weather station networks are providing farmers with more reliable
seasonal forecasts, and mapping technologies are helping farmers to better
understand and monitor landscape use in a changing environment.