News 15 November 2024
Today at the U20 Summit, Rio de Janeiro announced the plans for ‘Breathe Rio de Janeiro’ as part of its partnership with Breathe Cities to reduce air pollution, cut carbon emissions, improve public health and reduce inequalities in one of Brazil’s largest cities. As mayors from around the world gathered in Rio, Mayor Eduardo Paes and leaders from the global initiative outlined the strategy to help clean the city’s air.
Delivered by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Clean Air Fund, and C40 Cities, Breathe Cities gives cities greater access to air quality data to support the implementation of tailored policies that benefit local economies and communities, and connect with cities across the globe to share learnings. Some 14 cities worldwide, from Jakarta to Johannesburg, are now part of Breathe Cities, which aims to reduce air pollution by 30% on average across participating cities by 2030.
At COP28 last year, Rio de Janeiro became the first Latin American city to join the initiative, and today’s launch details the specific actions that will be taken in the city, which were agreed to after extensive consultation with local government and civil society representatives.
Breathe Rio de Janeiro, launched today, will:
- Expand the city’s air quality monitoring network with high accuracy, low-cost sensors to identify toxic air hotspots and sources of pollution.
- Raise public awareness of air pollution, especially among communities that are disproportionately affected.
- Support a range of targeted actions, including reducing pollution from transport, which accounts for 51% of harmful particles in the city’s air. These include providing technical assistance to support:
- A Low Emission District and improved and more inclusive pedestrian and cycling infrastructure in the city centre.
- Upgraded clean public transport, with the electrification of buses and expansion of the light rail (VLT) system.
- A new transport hub in Madureira in the city’s north zone.
The launch during the U20 Summit brings together leaders from other Breathe Cities around the world to mark the moment, including Johannesburg’s Mayor Dada Morero and Accra’s Mayor Elizabeth Sackey, alongside city officials from Rio and Adalberto Maluf, National Secretary of Urban Environment and Environmental Quality in Brazil.
Our partnership with Breathe Cities will help us scale our efforts to combat air pollution, drive climate action, safeguard the health of our residents and reduce inequalities. Brazil has taken tremendous strides toward delivering climate solutions alongside municipalities and city leaders, which we hope to share as we welcome the world for COP30 next year. With the additional support and expertise of this global initiative, we are well-equipped to make substantial progress in enhancing air quality and reducing carbon emissions in our city.
Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro has long been at the forefront of urban action on clean air and climate change. Breathe Rio will build on these foundations to support the municipality to achieve its Sustainable Development and Climate Action Plan by 2030. Overall, it’s estimated that reducing air pollution by 30% by 2030 in Rio would prevent over 1,100 premature deaths a year, save $2 billion in annual costs from avoided deaths and disability, and avoid around 2,370 new cases of asthma in children per year and 6.4 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
Globally, 2.6 billion people live in cities that exceed the World Health Organisation’s guidelines for air pollutants. Toxic air accounted for 8.1 million deaths in 2021, and is now the second leading risk factor for death, ahead of tobacco use.
With mayors from across the globe gathered in Rio for the Urban 20 Summit, this is an important moment to show the world that action on clean air is climate action. Ahead of COP30, Rio de Janeiro is setting a powerful example across Latin America and beyond through its commitment to sustainable urban development. Breathe Rio will help accelerate the city’s action on clean air by providing support to better understand its air pollution and take targeted action that benefits communities, and roll-out solutions like an expanded VLT and a new transport hub. Cleaner air saves lives, cuts carbon emissions, and can contribute to more inclusive, equitable and thriving cities – and as part of Breathe Cities, Rio de Janeiro’s residents will breathe the benefits.
Jaime Pumarejo, Executive Director of Breathe Cities
Rio de Janeiro’s proactive approach to tackling air pollution, with its emphasis on electrification and accessibility in public transportation, is exactly what we need to inspire global action. From expanding the light rail to improving pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, we are eager to support Rio de Janeiro and Mayor Paes on this ambitious journey and look forward to witnessing the positive impacts on the health and well-being of Rio de Janeiro residents.
Antha Williams, Environment Program Lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies
Under Mayor Paes’ leadership, Rio has forged a world-leading path of clean, green and inclusive urban transformation. I am delighted that as part of Breathe Cities, Rio de Janeiro, with the support of the Brazilian national government, is now setting a global example with its actions to improve air quality and protect public health. This collaboration will amplify their efforts and demonstrate to other cities the impact of innovative solutions and dedicated leadership.
Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities
