Between the Biobío River and the South Pacific Ocean, we will find the commune of San Pedro de La Paz. Surrounded by the most diverse natural beauties and rich in coastal landscapes, the commune populated by 121,650 inhabitants commits to each of them, investing in health, basic sanitation and security for the population.
The management of the commune is centered on people and environmental balance. Biotrem is a suburban train system that operates in 7 communes, including the one in San Pedro de la Paz, since 1999 and has two lines that carry around 18 thousand passengers per day, thus promoting urban mobility through an alternative sustainable.
Tourist landscapes are one of the strengths of San Pedro de la Paz, but the municipality knows that to take advantage of them, it is necessary to protect them. He also knows that this effort is joint and that is why he committed himself to the principles of mitigation and adaptation to climate change, allying himself with the largest coalition of mayors and local authorities: the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.
As its first action within the Covenant, the commune established as a goal the regular measurement of the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) for the year 2021. The project would start in 2020, but due to the new coronavirus the resources were turned to combat pandemic and health measures for the most vulnerable population.
Even before committing to the Covenant, the commune has been developing a series of sustainable initiatives in four main areas: territorial planning, energy efficiency, promotion and enhancement of the community’s environmental heritage and adaptation and mitigation of climate change.
The management of San Pedro de la Paz enrolled four social and environmental development projects that aim to regenerate violent, abandoned and non-inclusive public spaces, transforming them into sustainable and accessible projects for the population. All projects have led lighting, permeable surfaces and elements made from recycled materials.
The Villa Padre Hurtado and Sol del Pacífico squares will be built and the Villa Evangelista Park has revitalization projects and construction of a skatepark , a multi-block and a synthetic grass court for free use by the population. The plazas also aim to increase green areas in urban areas and transform them into larger CO² sinks. In addition, there are several projects that aim to increase non-motorized urban mobility, demarcating and building cycle paths throughout the region.
Energy efficiency
In the field of energy efficiency, the municipality was included in the Energy Commune project, a management and accreditation tool for the municipalities of Chile that aims to define strategies for the implementation of energy planning in cities.
One of the projects in progress is the installation of photovoltaic panels in primary health centers throughout the municipality. Since 2019, the municipality’s management has been installing photovoltaic panels in homes, 35 families have benefited and still have 39 families enrolled to receive the installation in the coming months.
Along with the panels, a solar thermal collector system also figures in the planning. A water storage system will be installed in the homes on the roof of the houses, the solar radiation heats the water to later distribute it throughout the construction, in order to reinforce the thermal insulation and reduce the use of heaters.
