Brazilian cities are ramping up their efforts to ‘turn climate commitments into action’, one year on from COP30 in Belém, C40 Cities has said.
As it noted, the Brazil Mutirão Program, a partnership between C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, has engaged more than 100 Brazilian cities and state governments, while more than 50 have received direct support for projects covering sustainable transport, waste management, climate budgeting and climate planning.
As an example, more than $230 million has been mobilised through state and federal support to acquire 200 electric buses, including 100 for the Recife Metropolitan Region, 96 for Belo Horizonte and 27 for Montes Claros.
Currently, some 12 subnational governments across Brazil are working on electric bus deployment and active mobility projects.
Zero-emission fleets
“The transition to zero-emission fleets is becoming an increasingly established part of public policy in Brazilian cities,” commented Ilan Cuperstein, C40 Cities’ regional director for Latin America.
“Electrifying fleets brings direct benefits for the climate, public health, transport quality and the local economy. The clear message for other cities is that financing is no longer a barrier: proven pathways exist, and a network is ready to support municipalities.”
Waste managemente
Waste management is another area where efforts have been scaled up, with some 21 subnational governments developing 17 waste management projects that are expected to process more than 30,000 tonnes of organic waste annually once implemented.
Seven cities, including Salvador, Curitiba and Campinas, are also working to introduce climate budgeting, which integrates climate commitments into public spending and policy decisions.
The Brazil Mutirão Program is also supporting 11 cities across the Amazon region. Some six cities are developing local climate action plans, two are advancing sustainable mobility projects and three are working on waste management.
“Climate policy is not just about targets,” said Ana Toni, COP30 CEO. “It is about ensuring clean air, quality public transport, safe and resilient infrastructure, economic opportunities and a fairer future.
“The only way to leave a liveable planet for our children and grandchildren is to act together, now, through a global, national and local mutirão – a collective effort.” Read more here.
