Mozambique participates in World Congress of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club in Yeosu, ...
Quelimane, also known as 'the city of bicycles'. [File photo: Youtube]
Two Mozambican cities, Maputo and Quelimane, today became the first African cities to join the Transport Decarbonisation Alliance (TDA), an international association that brings together cities and countries that are committed to decarbonising transport by 2050.
Signing the TDA charter at a ceremony in Maputo attended by representatives of both cities and the Minister for Environment and Energy Transition of Portugal, made them the 22nd and 23rd members of the TDA , which now has 23 members across four continents.
Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique, has over 1.1 million citizens, while Quelimane has 350,000 residents and is of major importance in the region. The cities will join in the transition of the transport sector towards a net-zero emission mobility system before 2050.
The challenge of “zero carbon emissions by 2050” was formally assumed by the mayors of Maputo, Eneas Comiche, and of Quelimane, Manuel de Araújo, who signed the agreement to join TDA with João Pedro Matos Fernandes, the Minister of Environment and Energy Transition of Portugal, the country currently holding the presidency of the entity.
“There are more and better experiences that must be shared” in the commitment to reduce carbon emissions, Fernandes told reporters on the sidelines of the signing of the agreement.
The Portuguese leader welcomed his country’s achievements in the field, including last year reducing carbon emissions by 9%, compared to an average 3% reduction in the European Union.
Fernandes argued that the scope of the TDA commitments was based on approaches such as increasing public transport options, walking, or using bicycles or electricity or gas-powered vehicles.
ALSO READ: Maputo pledges support for “decarbonisation”
The mayor of Quelimane, Manuel de Araújo, called for greater technical and financial cooperation between cities to achieve the goal of reducing carbon dioxide.
“By joining this pact, we are demonstrating our commitment to climate change issues. We hope this will be a space for convergence and exchange of experiences with other cities and countries,” de Araújo said.
Noting that Quelimane had the most cyclists in Mozambique, Araújo defended more ecology-friendly mobility solutions as fundamental for the reduction of carbon dioxide, stressing that the commitment of cities to climate issues was pressing, since more than 50% of the world’s population now lives in urban areas.
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.