Moscow has joined 28 pioneering cities in committing to ensure a major area of the city is free from exhaust gases by 2030 and procure only zero-emission buses from 2025.
Deputy Mayor of Moscow in the Government of Moscow Petr Biryukov announced ambitious targets tasks to make Moscow healthier, greener and a more prosperous city.
By signing the C40 Green and Healthy Streets Declaration, Moscow has declared its intention to transform a major area of the city into a place free from exhaust gases by creation and improvement of public spaces, urban parks and streets, development of public transport, bicycle infrastructure and transition to the use of electric buses in the city of Moscow, buying exclusively electric buses from 2025.
These strategies are designed to combat air pollution, improve the quality of life of all residents of the city and take new actions to protect the climate.
If all C40 cities meet the commitments of the Green & Healthy Streets Declaration and encourage more people out of their cars, it would potentially prevent more than 45,000 premature deaths each year.
Moscow becomes the 29th city to make the pledge joining cities like Paris, Los Angeles, Copenhagen, Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona, Quito, Vancouver, Mexico City, Milan, Seattle, Auckland & Cape Town.
“Improving air quality is a top priority for us. We intend to create and transform public spaces, urban parks and streets, develop Bicycle infrastructure, public transport system and switch to the use of electric buses only. This will be a huge contribution to the development and improvement of the ecology of our city. Today we confirmed our intentions by signing the Declaration C40 “Green and healthy streets”, said Petr Biryukov, Deputy Mayor of Moscow in the Government of Moscow.
“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. The signing by the Deputy Mayor in the Moscow Government C40 Green & Healthy Streets Declaration illustrates the determination of leaders around the world to take bold climate action,” said Mark Watts, C40 Executive Director.
“With just a few weeks before leaders of cities, around the world join us in Copenhagen for the C40 World Mayors Summit, I am sincerely glad that Moscow has joined us in this important commitment. We hope many other world cities will join us in helping create a future we want.”
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 city of Moscow, therefore, strives 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 partners, fleet operators and other businesses representatives 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.