New collaborative initiative launched in the second largest Brazilian city, leveraging US$10M commitment by The Climate Pledge to accelerate the deployment of zero-tailpipe-emission electric trucks and charging infrastructure in Latin America.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – June 7, 2024 – The Climate Pledge, co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism, in collaboration with C40 Cities, launched the Laneshift Initiative for zero-tailpipe-emission freight vehicles in Rio de Janeiro. Representatives from the City of Rio de Janeiro and private sector transportation and logistics companies attended the launch event. This milestone marks a significant step forward in the city’s commitment to identifying incentives and infrastructure development opportunities to help facilitate the transition to zero-tailpipe-emission freight vehicles by 2030.
In Rio, the road transport sector is the second-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), accounting for 35.9% of the total. To reduce GHGs, Rio’s local authorities, such as the Planning Office of the Municipal Department of Finance and Planning, the Municipal Department of Transport, and the Traffic Engineering Company (CET-Rio), are working in collaboration with C40 and inviting transport logistic companies, such as Climate Pledge signatories, to focus on reducing emissions in the city’s Low Emission District, a central freight hub in downtown Rio that accounts for nearly 50% of transportation GHG emissions in the city.
Laneshift-Rio de Janeiro is expected to accelerate the implementation of EV freight transition solutions in Rio’s Low Emission District by engaging with OEMs, shippers, carriers, financiers and tech providers to address common challenges and provide innovative solutions that send demand signals and unlock effective policies, incentives, and business models that can be replicated and scaled across the region.
Lucas Padilha, Secretary of Civil Affairs in Rio de Janeiro, said: “The city of Rio de Janeiro has emerged as a key player on the global climate agenda, notably through events like the 1992 Earth Summit and Rio+20. We are thrilled to affirm our commitment through Laneshift. The Laneshift Initiative is a cornerstone of our efforts to slash emissions from freight transport. By partnering with Laneshift and adopting electric vehicles, Rio will diminish its reliance on fossil fuels, enhancing the city’s energy security and reducing vulnerability to oil price fluctuations. The benefits extend far beyond financial gains. With the decarbonization of freight, Rio anticipates profound environmental, social, and health impacts, notably through improved air quality – helping to ensure a more sustainable and thriving future for Rio de Janeiro and its residents.”
With Laneshift’s Curitiba launch in 2023, and now Rio, Brazilian cities are proving their commitment to prioritize and cultivate environmental stewardship in rapidly urbanizing communities ahead of major 2024 events, such as the Group of Twenty (G20) and the Urban 20 (U20) where investment in sustainability solutions will be top of mind for global leaders.
Saori Yano, Amazon’s Operations Sustainability Leader in Brazil: “We’re proud to bring Laneshift to Rio to help speed up the deployment of zero-tailpipe-emission freight vehicles in its Low Emission District, which will ultimately help with the city’s decarbonization goals. Partnerships like these also can help the customers and communities we serve in Brazil who will benefit from the initiative that also supports job creation and provides economic development opportunities.”
Laneshift is also incorporating learnings from Climate Pledge signatories into Rio’s freight electrification goals and progressing on increasing business opportunities in other Latin American cities, such as Mexico City, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Bogotá and Medellin in Colombia.
Gabriel Tenenbaum, C40 Cities Latin America Director of Implementation, emphasized the urgency for action: “Laneshift represents our bold response to the fossil fuel emissions crisis, aiming to implement successful zero-tailpipe-emission freight business models that will transform the city’s quality of life while seizing economic opportunities. By partnering with city leadership and other stakeholders, C40 and The Climate Pledge are actively driving change in Rio’s Low Emission District. We are ready for businesses and financiers to join us in taking steps towards Laneshift’s regional goal to rapidly increase the supply of zero tailpipe emission freight and the infrastructure it takes to support this transition.”
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Laneshift is a partnership to abate carbon emissions from road freight, which accounted for over 2.2 billion metric tons of CO2 in 2020—double the emissions from air, sea, and rail freight combined. The partnership will tackle carbon emissions through zero-emission freight by reimagining medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and their travel routes. In partnership with cities, Laneshift will accelerate the development of EV infrastructure and the deployment of EV trucks across cities in Latin America (Bogotá and Medellin, Colombia; Curitiba and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Quito, Ecuador; and Mexico City, Mexico) and India (Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune).
Key Event Highlights:
- The high-level panel was relevant in identifying success stories from leading businesses on electric freight adoption, learning more about the manufacturers’ market offers on zero-emission vehicles, and understanding the freight sector and industry needs to accelerate an e-mobility market in Rio de Janeiro; the networking sessions were crucial to connect the main key stakeholders expecting to identify synergies for pilot projects in the city.
- The road transport sector in Rio is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 35.9% of the total. Although Brazilian air quality standards are higher than EU guidelines, the annual average concentration of PM2.5 in Rio is between 11 and 17 µg/m3, exceeding WHO’s recommended 10 µg/m3 limit. This indicates that citizens are exposed to harmful levels of air pollution. In 2019, it was estimated that the environmental level of PM2.5 is responsible for 7,250 premature deaths each year in Rio de Janeiro.
- C40’s Regional Commitment to decarbonise the transport sector is focused on implementing innovative and inclusive climate actions in sectors such as zero-tailpipe emission buses and trucks, renewable energy, and green infrastructure, with the support of national, regional, and international partners; mainstreaming climate action in key processes, policies, and instruments of urban management; and facilitating the access of new and existing green finance sources to accelerate climate action implementation.
- Amazon’s Decarbonization Efforts: Amazon continues to decarbonise its transportation network globally. Today, Amazon has more than 13,000 custom electric delivery vehicles from Rivian in its fleet in the United States, helping the company achieve its goal of having 100,000 EVs on the road by 2030. The company also has thousands of electric delivery vans across Europe and India.
For more information on the Laneshift program in Latam, please email laneshift.latam@c40.org
About The Climate Pledge: In 2019, Amazon and Global Optimism co-founded The Climate Pledge, a commitment to reaching net-zero carbon by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement. Now, nearly 500 organizations have signed The Climate Pledge, sending an important signal that there will be rapid growth in demand for products and services that help reduce carbon emissions. Visit The Climate Pledge site for more information.
About C40 Cities: C40 is a network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities working to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone, everywhere, can thrive. Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using a science-based and people-focused approach to help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities. We work alongside a broad coalition of representatives from labour, business, the youth climate movement and civil society to support mayors to halve emissions by 2030 and help phase out fossil use while increasing urban climate resilience and equity.
The current co-chairs of C40 are Mayor Sadiq Khan of London, United Kingdom, and Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown, Sierra Leone; 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 and Realdania.
To learn more about the work of C40 and our cities, please visit our website or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Amazon: The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. For more information, visit Amazon’s official site and follow @AmazonNews.