Major Cities Commit Remove All Diesel Vehicles By 2025

Diesel vehicles will be removed from Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens by 2025, as part of unprecedented effort by mayors to improve the quality of air for their citizens. These pioneering cities also pledged to incentivize alternative fuel vehicles, as well as promote walking and cycling infrastructure. The market-shifting commitment was made at the C40 Mayors Summit in Mexico City.

Pursuing policies that improve air quality – decarbonizing transportation systems and promoting alternative transportation options such as natural gas vehicles – helps cities deliver on the ambition of the Paris Agreement.

“The quality of the air that we breathe in our cities is directly linked to tackling climate change,” said Mayor of Madrid Manuela Carmena. “As we reduce the greenhouse gas emissions generated in our cities, our air will become cleaner and our children, our grandparents and our neighbors will be healthier.”

C40 also announced that it was joining with the World Health Organization and UN Environment’s Climate and Clean Air Coalition, in support of the BreathLife  campaign to halve the 6.5 million deaths from air pollution by 2030. The global campaign will support city governments to reduce harmful emissions from the transport, waste and energy sectors, as well as mobilizing citizen action to reduce air pollution while also slowing climate change.

“92 per cent of the world’s population live in places where air pollution levels exceed the WHO safe level for air pollution,” said Helena Molin Valdés, Head of the CCAC. “Soot from diesel vehicles are amongst the big contributors to ill health and global warming.”