The activity, which was attended by hundreds of people, sought to disseminate Chile's short, medium and long-term objectives and measures to mitigate the negative effects of transport on the environment.
Santiago de Chile, 20 October. With the commitment to promote clean, efficient and safe mobility, the National Strategy for Sustainable Mobility (ENMS) was relaunched this Sunday, a guiding document with which Chile seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Composed of 7 objectives and 30 short, medium and long term measures to mitigate the negative effects of transport on the environment, this tool was the result of an intersectoral work led by the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications of Chile, in which the Ministries of Environment, Energy, Housing and Urbanism, Public Works, Social Development and Family also participated, and which was carried out with the support of the European Union and its Euroclima programme, through the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH.
In this context and to promote the National Strategy for Sustainable Mobility, the Family Cycle Ride Pedalling for the Future was held, with the participation of the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Juan Carlos Muñoz; the Ambassador of the European Union in Chile, León de la Torre Krais; Ambassadors of the EU Member States; representatives of the Muévete Collective and various organisations, including the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH, which provided technical support for the development of the ENMS.
"Moving towards more sustainable cities is an imperative and we all have something to contribute to this task. The National Strategy for Sustainable Mobility (ENMS) has inter-ministerial support and our goal is that it be used - both internally and externally - as an instrument for permanent consultation," said Minister Juan Carlos Muñoz, who led the activity that attracted hundreds of people during its tour in the centre of Santiago de Chile.
The Secretary of State added that "this project is extremely important for our country and in this regard, collaboration with different organisations, such as the European Union, has been key. Currently, we are continuing to work with the EU on the implementation of this strategy through a study that is under development and that seeks to design lines of financing for projects to redistribute space and discourage automobile use. The sustainability agenda is a state task in which we have taken the lead and we intend to push it forward with greater force”.
Urban mobility is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the country, accounting for 23% of CO2 emissions in 2018. According to international agreements, Chile has committed to reach its maximum annual emissions by 2025. This means that the country must strive to reduce its annual pollution by 24% compared to what it emitted in 2018.
In this regard, the Ambassador of the European Union, León de la Torre, said that "sustainable and low-emission mobility is one of the most important measures that we can promote if we want to meet the GHG emission reduction targets to which all countries have committed under the Paris Agreement. That is why we have promoted this initiative, with the support of the Euroclima+ programme in Chile, which we hope will contribute to meeting Chile's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)".
In the same vein, the general coordinator of Colectivo Muévete, Daniel Lanfranco, argued that "sustainable mobility is not only good for our health and the environment, it also promotes an ecology of modes of transport that takes care of everyone in the city. Today, 20 November, the day of commemoration of road fatalities in our country, we cannot overemphasise the importance of this strategy to avoid more senseless deaths, more pollution, and harmful urban growth without a long-term approach. We need to leave our country's future children a place where they can travel in a safe, friendly and sustainable way. That's why we are pedalling for the future today.
It should be noted that the Strategy in Chile aims to promote public transport and active mobility through various actions supported by State bodies, such as: regional authorities, Governors, Mayors, the private sector and citizens. All of them together are key actors to continue advancing towards a sustainable transport system.
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA+ is a programme funded by the European Union and co-financed by the German federal government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as by the governments of France and Spain through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
The Programme's mission is to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting mitigation, adaptation, resilience and climate investment. It is implemented according to the "Spirit of Team Europe" under the synergistic work of seven agencies: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the AFD Group: The French Development Agency (AFD)/ Expertise France (EF), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).