Mexico City unveiled its climate change plan this week, a $7 billion initiative that will focus on seven key areas, as BNamericas reports:
- Reforestation of the city’s urban and rural areas
- Cleaning up local rivers and water sources
- Sustainable water management
- Turning the city into a zero waste area
- Integrated and sustainable transport
- Improving air quality
- Increasing solar power
June 06, 2019
Implementation of the 2019-2014 environment and climate change program of the Mexico City government will require around 145bn pesos (US$7.3bn) in investments. The program was outlined by city mayor Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday to mark World Environment Day.
“[The implementation of] the program is urgent. It cannot wait…it has to have measurable goals and not isolated actions… These actions need to be long-term solutions,” Sheinbaum said.
Two of the biggest environmental challenges the city face, which the program is aimed at resolving, are the fact that 15-20% of the population do not have access to uninterrupted potable water supplies, and that the government currently spends around 2bn pesos per year to transport 8,000t of the 12,500t of solid waste produced in the capital to dispose of it in neighboring states. Transporting the waste required only 200mn pesosback in 2006, Sheinbaum said.
THE PROGRAM
As the mayor had previously stated, the program covers seven areas:
1) Reforestation of the city’s urban and rural areas. As part of the effort, 10mn trees will be planted between June this year and November 2020. The city’s urban parks of Chapultepec, Aragón, Tláhuac, San Fernando, and a handful of others will be rehabilitated.
2) Cleaning up local rivers and water sources. This year, authorities will clean the national canal and the San Buenaventura, Los Remedios, and Santiago rivers. Other areas the current administration vowed to clean up are the Xochimilco canals and the El Salado and Cuautepec regulatory lagoons, as well as the San Lucas dam.
3) Sustainable water management. The current’s administration goal is to have 100% uninterrupted potable water coverage in all areas of the city by the end of its term in 2024. Around 50 water wells in the east of the capital will gradually be closed off to reduce overexploitation of the local aquifer. The government also formed 50 special brigades to reduce leaks in the water system, while also working alongside the governments of the other states comprising the greater metropolitan area to look for new supply sources.
4) Turning the city into a zero waste area. Some measures in this component are related to promoting waste recycling, the construction of a sorting facility, as well as building an organic waste treatment plant in Central de Abasto, one of the world’s largest wholesale food markets.
5) Integrated and sustainable transport. This strategy entails increasing the coverage of the local transport network. Some of the measures to be implemented through 2024 include the construction of 100km of corridors for the exclusive use of public transport, building four lines for the Cablebús cable car system, building a zero-emissions Metrobús BRT line, completing the expansion of metro line No.12, renewing the public bus fleet, upgrading the local light rail system and building a trolley bus line from Constitución de 1917 metro station to Santa Marta neighborhood, among others.
The seventh and eight strategies entail improving air quality and increasing the use of solar power for some activities, respectively.
The Ciudad Solar, or Solar City, plan will bankroll the installation of solar heaters and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems across the Mexican capital’s homes and businesses between 2019 and 2024. Some 10,000 micro-enterprises and homes and 300 city government buildings are planned to benefit from the installation of PV systems of below 500 kWp. These projects will add 200 MW in total.
The programme will also target 150 MW of new capacity from PV systems bigger than 500 kWp. This group will include a 25-MW rooftop scheme at the city’s wholesale market Centro de Abasto and a 4-MW solar project to power all stations in the light rail system.
Mexico City launches plan to install 350 MW of solar to rein in pollution
Rooftop solar panels. Photo by: EBRD (www.ebrd.com).
May 29 (Renewables Now) – The Mexico City government launched on Saturday a city-wide solar programme to support plans that will add up to 350 MW of green capacity over the next five years.
The initiative, called Ciudad Solar, is backed with funds totalling MXN 7.93 billion (USD 413.9m/EUR 370.3m) with the World Bank providing around MXN 600 million. The remainder is coming from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mexican government-owned development bank Nacional Financiera (NAFIN) and Mexico City.
The Ciudad Solar, or Solar City, plan will bankroll the installation of solar heaters and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems across the Mexican capital’s homes and businesses between 2019 and 2024. Some 10,000 micro-enterprises and homes and 300 city government buildings are planned to benefit from the installation of PV systems of below 500 kWp. These projects will add 200 MW in total.
The programme will also target 150 MW of new capacity from PV systems bigger than 500 kWp. This group will include a 25-MW rooftop scheme at the city’s wholesale market Centro de Abasto and a 4-MW solar project to power all stations in the light rail system.
The solar initiative, despite its name, will also include bioenergy and energy efficiency projects and one 3-MW mini-hydropower plant as the city seeks to curb pollution. Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said at Saturday’s presentation of the plan that the goal was to avoid carbon dioxide (CO2) emission of 2 million tonnes.
(MXN 100 = USD 5.22/EUR 4.67)
Mexico City introduces 14 measures to address air quality: The expectation is to reduce fine airborne particulate matter between 12% and 14%
Three weeks after issuing an emergency alert in Mexico City due to extremely high levels of air pollution, the Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis yesterday presented 14 proposals aimed at reducing contamination.
Commission chief Víctor Hugo Páramo said the proposed measures will help to reduce fine airborne particulate matter by between 12% and 14% and volatile organic compounds by 46% beginning in 2020.
He explained that during a one-month period members of the public can email their opinions about the measures or their own proposals.
Citizens’ responses will be taken into account during the development of the plan to improve air quality in the Valley of México metropolitan area, Páramo said.
The 14 proposals are:
1. Emissions reduction in the distribution and use of LP gas.
The mandatory use of low-emission valves in the distribution and storage of gas is proposed for 2020. A social awareness campaign will educate the public about how to check for gas leaks and make informed purchases of gas tanks.
2. Reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in household products.
Official emergency regulations will inform the public about the quantity of VOCs in different household cleaning products, personal hygiene products, paints and enamels. Rules will be established to ensure that the government only purchases products with low levels of VOCs.
3. Emissions controls at gas stations.
Inspections of gas stations will aim to detect and control evaporative gasoline emissions from fuel pumps. Gas stations will be supported to increase the efficiency of their control systems and a mechanism will be established to allow citizens to report stations where they have detected excessive gasoline odors.
4. Cleaner gasoline.
Authorities will modify existing regulations to ensure greater availability of low volatility gasoline between March and June, a period during which air quality in the capital and surrounding area tends to deteriorate.
5. Fire prevention.
As more than 60% of forest fires are the result of negligence, authorities will restrict controlled burns, including those for agricultural purposes, in the peak fire season of April and May.
6. Low emissions industry.
The use of natural gas and solar energy in local factories will be promoted and supported by authorities in the metropolitan area.
7. Environmentally-friendly public works.
Environmental and infrastructure authorities will collaborate to establish sustainable guidelines for the execution of public works. Machinery used in government infrastructure projects must be fitted with particle filters.
8. Crackdown on vehicle pollution.
Efforts to detect vehicles that are visibly polluting the air and to fine their drivers will be increased. Stricter circulation restrictions will be imposed on heavy vehicles and citizens will be encouraged to report sightings of vehicles that are in clear violation of emissions laws.
9. Stricter emissions limits for new cars.
New regulations will stipulate stricter emissions limits for new cars and provide incentives for the use of electric and hybrid vehicles.
10. Restrictions on the sale of motorcycles.
By the year 2021, it is proposed that all new motorcycles sold in Mexico City must meet European emissions standards.
11. Introduction of a new emissions verification scheme for vehicles.
Hybrid and electric vehicles will be issued with “ecological” license plates and all other vehicles will have to pass stricter emissions tests in order to be able to circulate without restrictions, or in the case of older cars, remain on the road.
12. Sustainable transportation.
Authorities will reduce the use of government vehicles on Fridays this year and car-pooling programs for public employees will be introduced next year. Incentives will be on offer for those who participate in car-pooling schemes.
13. Public transit expansion.
New bus lines are proposed for Mexico City and México state and a high percentage of public buses will undergo modification to make them more environmentally friendly. Extension of Line 12 of the Metro system is under consideration and more cycle paths and bike parking stations will be built.
14. Development of technology that helps to reduce emissions.
Authorities will call for the submission of proposals that utilize new technologies to help reduce contamination.
