- Forética presents the report 'Sustainable Mobility. Building climate-neutral cities' in the framework of the 'Sustainable Cities 2030' initiative, with 25 companies and allied entities.
- The document, presented today at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, identifies seven key levers for the transition to sustainable mobility based on innovation, circular opportunities and collaboration with the different stakeholders involved.
- The 'Sustainable Cities 2030' initiative seeks to promote the business contribution to the development of sustainable cities in Spain and to highlight the importance of public-private collaboration to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in urban environments (specifically, SDG 11), in alliance with leading national and international organizations.
Forética has organized the forum 'Net zero cities - the key role of the private sector', at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, where the report 'Sustainable mobility. Sustainable Mobility. Building climate neutral cities'.. The study analyzes the main levers of change at national, European and international level that are driving the transition towards sustainable mobility within cities to help meet the goal of climate neutrality in urban environments. It also provides examples of how Spanish companies are indispensable actors in contributing to this change.
This meeting has been organized within the framework of the initiative Sustainable Cities 2030' initiative -led by Forética and made up of a total of 25 companies and entities, led by CEMEX, ENGIE and Sanitas.
As highlighted at the forum, the development of sustainable mobility within Spanish cities is an essential element in the fight against climate change. According to data from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, transport in Spain accounts for 27% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
As is being highlighted these days at the COP27 on Climate Change being held in Egypt, through the promotion of sustainable means of transport these emissions can be reduced, generating a positive impact on the health and welfare of people living in cities and on the environment in general. For example, according to the World Economic Forum, with the electrification of urban transport, cities can help mitigate more than 70% of CO2 emissions, reducing 50% of air pollution.
Ana Herrero, Director of Projects and Services at Forética, says: "There is a clear need for a paradigm shift in transportation towards a sustainable model that implies not only a challenge, but also a great opportunity that brings with it significant economic, environmental and social benefits. In this sense, the promotion of efficient, clean, accessible and safe transport is one of the nine routes for business transformation included in the 'Vision 2050' roadmap, presented by Forética within the framework of the Spanish Business Council for Sustainable Development".
The report published as part of the 'Sustainable Cities 2030' initiative highlights seven key levers for the transition to sustainable mobility: innovation in batteries and low-carbon fuels, infrastructure development and planning, diversification of mobility solutions, circular opportunities in the transport sector, implementation of autonomous vehicles, data sharing and the joint efforts of the various stakeholders involved.
As the study highlights, mobility to work is the main reason for private commuting in Spain. According to data from the Observatory of Metropolitan Mobility in Spain - analyzed by Forética in the report - it is estimated that, for work and study purposes, travel by car and motorcycle accounts for 62% on average, while travel by public transport accounts for only 13%. Each teleworking employee avoids the emission of 599 kg of CO2 per year.
Forética has complemented this report with a document on the business contribution to climate-neutral cities, which explains the 7 key elements of the European Mission 'Smart and Climate Neutral Cities' and ranks them according to their degree of contribution by the private sector. It shows how companies are fundamental in the development of sustainable investment plans, climate agreements, and R&D&I action plans, among other elements of climate-neutral cities.
Sustainable mobility: challenge and opportunity for companies
As Patricia Rodríguez, Manager of Forética's 'Sustainable Cities 2030' initiative, points out: "Public-private collaboration is essential to develop sustainable mobility in our cities. Public administrations lead this transformation through existing regulations and through fiscal and economic incentives. Private actors, on the other hand, are in charge of materializing these ideas and innovating to make them a reality. The involvement of companies in this transition towards sustainable mobility is essential in order to achieve the goal of climate-neutral cities, as we highlight in the specific analysis that we also present on the keys to the European Mission to achieve one hundred climate-neutral cities by 2030.
The keys to the European Mission 'Smart and Climate Neutral Cities' were explained by Patrick Child, Deputy Director General of DG Environment of the European Commission and Manager of the initiative. Emily White, City-Business Climate Alliance & UrbanShift Manager of C40, explained the most important global trends in public-private collaboration in the field of urban sustainability.
From the local perspective, the Councilor for Public Services and Mobility of the City Council of Zaragoza, Natalia Chueca Muñoz, spoke at the event.
Representatives of the companies leading the 'Sustainable Cities 2030' initiative also took part in the session, explaining their approaches to sustainable mobility from their different sectors. Specifically, Marcelo Catalá, VP Urbanization Solutions EMEA at CEMEX; David Liste, Director of Energy Solutions at ENGIE Spain; and Lucia Carrio, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at Sanitas.
The initiative is led by Forética and is made up of a total of 25 companies and entities, headed by CEMEX, ENGIE and Sanitas. Also participating in the initiative are Accenture, Adif, Enagás, Endesa, FCC, Ferrovial, GSK, IBM, LafargeHolcim, Mahou San Miguel, MAPFRE, Metro Ligero Oeste, Metrovacesa, Naturgy, Reale Seguros, Sacyr and Urbaser.
As allies, the initiative includes the World Business Council for Sustainable Development(WBCSD) at the global level, the CONAMA Foundation at the national level, and at the local level the Foro de Empresas por Madrid, the Madrid Nuevo Norte project and the Madrid World Capital of Construction, Engineering and Architecture association. Forética also maintains strategic alliances with important international meetings in this field, such as the Smart City Expo World Congress or the Cities Forum, in its various editions.
In the first edition of the 'Sustainable Cities 2030' initiative, Forética published the report. 'Rethinking our cities. Towards a new model of sustainable urban development'.which identifies six levers for action towards a more sustainable and inclusive city model in the context of post-COVID-19 recovery. Specifically on the subject of building as one of these levers, Forética published the report Sustainable construction: why is it key to the green recovery of cities?which analyzes the types of sustainable solutions and responses of companies in the construction sector.
In addition, Forética's track record on Sustainable Cities includes projects such as the Toolbox for adaptation to climate change in cities', in collaboration with the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, aimed at city councils.in collaboration with the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, aimed at city councils at national level to develop their strategies and actions for adaptation to climate change. Also the project Sustainable Life in Citieswhich had the collaboration of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) and the Spanish Climate Change Office of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
