London shares transport tips

Representatives of 33 major cities descended on London this week to share tips on transport and congestion schemes to tackle climate change.


London Mayor Ken Livingstone welcomed members of the C40 group of cities, including Beijing, Madrid and Toronto, for a three-day workshop which began on Monday.

The event, jointly hosted by London and Stockholm, is the first of three workshops following the C40 summit held in New York last May.

The aim is to share expertise of the best initiatives being used by members to run eco-efficient transport networks.

Mr Livingstone, chair of the C40, set up the group in a bid to speed up cities’ programmes to combat climate change.

He said: “This C40 workshop is the first of its kind and brings together more than 100 senior representatives from 33 cities to share the best of each others’ work to reduce carbon emissions.

“By working together in ways such as this, cities are putting themselves at the forefront of the fight to prevent catastrophic climate change.”

Ulla Hamilton, Vice Mayor of Stockholm, said: “A development of technology in the areas of transportation and clean vehicles is of crucial importance to meet the challenges of combating climate change.

“This workshop is an excellent opportunity for representatives of the larges cities of the world to receive information of the development in the area of sustainable transportation as well as to share best practices, inspire and become inspired.”

The workshop included a presentation by the Clinton Climate Initiative on green procurement opportunities in transport, including LED traffic lights and hybrid buses.

The C40 teamed up with the Clinton Climate Initiative earlier this year to create a purchasing consortium that can negotiate discounts on a range of green products.

A further C40 workshop is set to be held in Los Angeles, in April, focusing on airports, followed by another looking at ports, which will be held in Rotterdam, in July.

Kate Martin

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