“Cities in Motion” from the Mayors’ Forum promotes Sustainable Mobility in Latin America
August 22, 2023, Brasilia-Brazil – “Cities in Motion” will be the theme of a campaign driven by 11 Latin American cities and led by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in the Americas, a project of the European Union.
The campaign is inspired by September 22, the World Car-Free Day, a day aimed at encouraging people worldwide to give up the use of their cars and explore more environmentally friendly and sustainable transportation options.
“In the end, we are working to address Climate Change because our cities must become leaders in Climate Action. It is clear that many of our local decisions have a direct impact on the global environment, and one of these issues is precisely the regulation of transportation and the promotion of sustainable and low-emission urban mobility,” said Carolina Basualdo, mayor of Despeñaderos, Argentina.
Gonzalo Durán, mayor of Independencia, Chile, regarding the joint action of the cities, stated that “…the fight against the climate crisis is a struggle that must be established collaboratively, in a network. Being part of this has allowed us to join this collaborative logic that is a permanent source of exchange of experiences, which also allows us to optimize our own climate action. From local governments, we can support and contribute to a global perspective, understanding that this has systematically been the product of our incorporation into the Mayors’ Covenant,” he emphasized.
The 11 cities participating in this campaign are active members of the Mayors and Mayors Forum, the governing body of the Covenant that brings together cities from eight countries in the region, distinguished for their work and commitment to combating climate change.
“Our goal is to unite all these 11 cities in the same campaign to publicize what we are doing regarding urban mobility and invite more local governments to commit to serious planning and execution work on this issue,” said Álvaro Barrera, mayor of Tópaga, Colombia.
Promoting greater cooperation and strengthening the visibility of the regional commitment to combating climate change will be part of the key messages shared from August 22 to September 22, the day when all participating cities will hold various in-person events in their territories, ranging from workshops and fairs to organizing bike rides in their communities. In this way, Despeñaderos and San Justo from Argentina, Serra Talhada and Salvador from Brazil, Peñalolén and Independencia from Chile, Tópaga from Colombia, Oreamuno from Costa Rica, Ambato in Ecuador, Comas from Peru, and Ahome from Mexico will join together in a single voice to invite more mayors to participate in the celebration of this international day.
“Only in Latin America, we are more than 900 cities that are already part of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, which is the largest global alliance of mayors against climate change, and now we are calling from the Forum to continue adding and uniting our strengths and thus achieve significant changes in our region facing climate change,” said Viviana Ocampo, vice-mayor of Oreamuno, Costa Rica.
Sustainable mobility is the theme of this campaign.
Aware that the transportation sector is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas, participating mayors seek to promote the use of cleaner transportation, improve air quality, and reduce congestion in cities. For this reason, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in the Americas, through the Mayors’ Forum, agreed earlier this year in 2023 to carry out a joint activity.
“Sustainable mobility is essential for the future of our cities and the well-being of our citizens. Through the ‘Cities in Motion’ campaign, we are demonstrating our commitment to the fight against climate change, implementing concrete actions that benefit both the environment and our communities,” said Helinah Cardoso, Director of the Covenant in the Americas.
The highlight of the “Cities in Motion” campaign will be the presentation of a best practices publication during the Latin America Climate Week in October 2023, in Panama City, Panama. This event will bring together leaders and climate action experts from the region to share experiences and strategies for a more sustainable future.
Global Covenant of Mayors – Latin America and the Caribbean
The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy is the largest global alliance of cities and municipalities leading the fight against climate change, with the support of municipal networks and other key actors in subnational climate action. It involves over 12,700 committed cities in more than 140 countries worldwide, representing over 11% of the global population.
In Latin America, the Covenant is funded by the European Union Partnership Instrument and engages more than 900 cities in 17 countries in the Latin American region.
For more information:
Press and Communication
Alexandra Cortés, Communication: [email protected]
Technical Aspects
Elise Abbes, Governance Advisor: [email protected]
