Rome joins 12 pioneering C40 cities in committing to procure only zero-emission buses from 2025 and ensure a major area of the city is zero emission by 2030
Mayor Raggi affirmed her commitment at the first-ever Formula E race in Rome
Rome, Italy (17 April 2018) — The Mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, today committed to a series of ambitious targets to make the eternal city greener, healthier and more prosperous. By signing the C40 Green and Healthy Streets Declaration, the City of Rome commits to procure only zero-emission buses from 2025 and ensure that a major area of the city is zero emission by 2030. The policies are designed to fight air pollution, improve the quality of life for all citizens, and help take more climate action. The commitment builds on Mayor Raggi’s announcement, made at the C40 Women4Climate conference in Mexico City, that Rome will ban diesel vehicles from the centre of Rome by 2024.
Mayor Raggi, affirmed Rome’s commitment to the Green and Healthy Streets Declaration alongside the first-ever Formula E race held in the Italian capital this weekend.
Rome joins London, Paris, Los Angeles, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Quito, Vancouver, Mexico City, Milan, Seattle, Auckland & Cape Town, to become the 13th city to sign the Declaration.
“Rome is ready to take up the challenge of improving the quality of life of citizens,” said Virginia Raggi, Mayor of Rome. “To do so, we must radically change the image of our city. We have set ourselves specific goals: we will ban diesel cars from the city centre by 2024 and purchase zero-emission buses starting from 2025. The commitment that has been undertaken involves everybody, it is a responsibility, with dedicated integrated policies to reduce traffic congestion, leveraging the tools that technology offers us. These measures have been adopted to safeguard public health, acting directly on the causes, and give citizens a more livable city.”
“Air pollution caused by petrol and diesel vehicles is killing millions of people in cities around the world. The same emissions are also causing climate change. Mayor Raggi’s commitment to the C40 Green & Healthy Streets Declaration illustrates the determination of mayors around the world to take bold climate action,” said Mark Watts, C40 Executive Director. “With just 5 months before leaders of cities, states and global businesses reveal new bold commitments in San Francisco during the Global Climate Action Summit, I am delighted that Mayor Raggi has joined us in this important commitment. We hope many other world cities will join us in making this commitment at the Global Climate Action Summit.”
Alejandro Agag, Founder & CEO of Formula E, said: “Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face and it’s something we’ll only overcome if we take the initiative as a collective group to tackle this problem. Whether it’s road car manufacturers, administrative offices or major industrial corporations – it’s only possible to instigate real and lasting change if we’re all moving in the same direction. I feel it’s fitting to announce Mayor Raggi’s push to continue to reduce emissions and create more renewable methods of transportation, as we at the ABB FIA Formula E Championship race for the very first time on the streets of Rome with fully-electric racing cars – using the same roads that electric vehicles will dominate in years to come. Without the help and support of mayors and governments around the world, a safe and sustainable future will only be a dream. But with the help of organisations such as C40 and the foresight of cities and their leaders, it’s another step closer to becoming a reality.”
Signatories to the Green and Healthy Streets Declaration “envision a future where walking, cycling, and shared transport are how the majority of citizens move around our cities.” The cities therefore commit to:
- Increase rates of walking, cycling and the use of public and shared transport.
- Reduce the number of polluting vehicles on city streets.
- Lead by example by procuring zero-emission vehicles for city fleets.
- Collaborate with suppliers, fleet operators and businesses to accelerate the shift to zero emissions vehicles and reduce vehicle miles in cities.
Cities will report back every two years on the progress they are making towards the goals of the C40 Declaration.
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About the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
C40 Cities connects 92 of the world’s greatest cities, representing 650+ million people and one-quarter of the global economy. Created and led by cities, C40 is focused on tackling climate change and driving urban action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, while increasing the health, wellbeing and economic opportunities of urban citizens. The current chair of the C40 is Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo; and three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the Board. C40’s work is made possible by our three strategic funders: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), and Realdania. To learn more about the work of C40 and our cities, please visit www.c40.org, follow us on Twitter @c40cities or Instagram @c40cities and like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/C40Cities.