The C40 Clean Bus Declaration of Intent was officially announced during the C40 Latin American Mayors Forum in Buenos Aires in March 2015. The Declaration is an unprecedented action by cities; not only does it document the growing interest in adopting clean bus technologies, it also provides data that illustrates the global market potential for manufacturers. The ultimate goal is to incentivize and help manufacturers and other stakeholders, such as multilateral banks, develop strategies to make these technologies more affordable for cities. The hope is that the Declaration will be a significant step in this direction.
Cities who signed the C40 Clean Bus Declaration at the Latin American Mayors Forum in Buenos Aires in March 2015.
Twenty cities had originally signed on to the Declaration, and based on the momentum out of the Mayors Forum, now a total of 22 cities across Africa, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America have signed on. And more are encouraged to join the movement, a sentiment shared by London, Lead City of the C40 Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) Network. Matthew Pencharz, Senior Adviser to the Mayor of London on Environment and Energy, said:
"Transport is a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, particularly in urban areas. The C40 Clean Bus Declaration demonstrates the commitment of cities to reduce emissions from these vehicles by adopting the most innovative technologies like electric, hydrogen and hybrid buses. With the upcoming London Global Clean Bus Summit on 29th June we look forward to more cities signing on and working together to use our collective clout to secure these buses at the best possible price to improve the quality of life for our citizens.”
Cities of the C40 LEV Network collectively forged the Clean Bus Declaration to demonstrate a commitment to reducing emissions and improving air quality by incorporating low- and zero-emission buses in their fleets. This is a particularly meaningful event for the City of Bogotá, as the Declaration was conceived during the C40 LEV Network workshop the city hosted in November, General Manager of Bogotá’s TransMilenio S.A, said:
“Bogotá decided to reduce pollution through a gradual transformation of the bus fleet, a process that began with efforts made in conjunction with C40 in testing hybrid and electric buses, and then became highly dynamic through a district public policy called Technological Upgrade Plan, which already has more than 240 hybrid buses in operation that are providing improvements in operating efficiency and air quality. The C40 Clean Bus Declaration reflects a commitment to accelerate the process of fleet renewal to more efficient technologies, increasing use of electricity and continuing to demonstrate that it is possible to have a ‘Human Bogotá’, free of emissions.”
Currently, the 22 signatory cities have committed to having over 40,000 buses operating via clean technologies by 2020. If these cities reach their 2020 clean bus targets, it would result in a cumulative 880,528 tons per year in GHG savings. If all new buses procured by signatory cities between now and 2020 incorporate clean technology, this figure would rise to almost 989,000 tons per year in GHG savings. As we can see, current targets result in the up-take of thousands of clean buses and significant GHG savings. If market conditions became more favorable, current 2020 goals could very well be surpassed given the interest among participating cities and additional cities that will likely sign the Declaration in the near future.
To see a copy of the Declaration, please visit the C40 LEV Network page.