Mexico City details climate change progress

The Mexico City government's climate action program (PACCM) for 2014-20 is making progress, according to local authorities.

Since its implementation, the carbon dioxide equivalents produced in the city have dropped by 5.6mn tons. This represents 85% progress towards the PACCM's goal of attaining a reduction of 6.7mn tons by 2018.

The reduction figure is expected to reach 10mn tones by 2020, the city government said in a release.

PACCM is comprised of 103 actions, divided in seven strategic areas: urban and rural energy transition (from fossil fuels to renewable power); containing urban sprawl; sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity; building resilience; education and communication; and research and development.

Some 31% of these actions have already been completed, while another 45% have reached the 50%-progress mark, according to the release.

Implemented initiatives include the upgrade of the public lighting system in the capital's 16 districts, and the installation of 25 anaerobic digestion facilities in different areas of the city. A total of 933.77ha of green areas have been rehabilitated while reforestation has been made in some areas at the Chapultepec and San Juan de Aragón parks.

In addition, the city's bike sharing system ECOBICI has been expanded to 452 stations and 6,102 bicycles, and two new BRT lines (No. 5 and 6) were also opened under the program. In terms of resilience, the city unveiled a strategy last year.

Earlier this month when signing the Chicago Climate Charter, PACCM was lauded with the Cities4Action award during the C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards.

The distinction recognized innovation in the program's online monitoring system, and financing model, as well as the gender perspective that is present in the related actions.