The recent international seminar, “Estrategias de calidad de aire y cambio climático en el uso de maquinarias móviles de construcción (Strategies for Air Quality and Climate Change in the Use of Mobile Construction Machinery)”, held in Peru and organized by the regional program “Climate and Clean Air in Latin American Cities Plus Programme” (CALAC+), brought together leaders and experts from seven countries to address the challenges in the construction industry.
On September 27 and 28, a globally significant event took place: the International Seminar “Strategies for Air Quality and Climate Change in the Use of Mobile Construction Machinery.” This seminar brought together experts from seven countries in Europe, North America, and Latin America, as well as government delegates from Colombia, Chile, and Mexico, business leaders, and non-governmental organizations. The main objective of the event was to address challenges related to pollution generated by mobile machinery used in construction activities, with a focus on the possibility of combining air quality and climate change goals to find more effective and efficient solutions.
The opening of the event featured Janine Kuriger, Head of the Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Environment Section of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE) in Bern. She shared the stage with Giuliana Becerra, Deputy Minister of Environmental Management of the Ministry of Environment (Gestión Ambiental del Ministerio del Ambiente) of Peru, and Víctor Arroyo, General Director of the Directorate of Multimodal Transportation Policy and Regulation of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Dirección de Políticas y Regulación de Transporte multimodal del Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones) of Peru.
Mrs. Kuriger highlighted that one of the pillars of Switzerland’s international cooperation strategy is fighting against climate change and improving the air quality we breathe. She mentioned that through the development cooperation agency, COSUDE, Switzerland has made its progress in these matters available to Peru and several other Latin American countries. The goal is to encourage countries to share their own knowledge and actions to learn from each other.
“Since 2018, the Climate and Clean Air in Latin American Cities Plus Programme has promoted the exchange of experiences and knowledge transfer, adapting them to the needs of the cities and countries in which it operates. As a result, countries and their main cities have been implementing various actions to reduce pollutant emissions.“ In this context, she emphasized that “introducing cleaner mobile construction machinery is a viable alternative to achieve climate goals and decontaminate our cities.”
She reasserted Switzerland’s commitment and support as an ally in the effort to introduce cleaner mobile construction machinery to achieve climate goals and decontaminate cities. “The next step is to design strategies to mitigate this issue. Decontaminating and decarbonizing these sources will substantially reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that promote global warming. We must all be aware that cleaning the air translates into improving people’s quality of life… and clearly, into saving lives,” she concluded.
Giuliana Becerra, on the other hand, highlighted the growing relevance of emissions from non-road mobile machinery and its contrast with technological advances in vehicles. She emphasized the importance of considering transportation as a key component to make cities truly sustainable and healthy for their inhabitants.
The agenda for the two-day event included discussions of progress in regional regulations and norms, as well as discussions on new regulations in countries like Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. These countries seek to reduce emissions and promote cleaner technologies in mobile construction machinery.
Internationally, the experience of leading cities in the fight against climate change, such as Oslo and London, was highlighted, which have set ambitious goals to reduce emissions and have implemented measures such as low emission zones. The importance of active collaboration between the public and private sectors to address these challenges was also emphasized, showcasing technologies available in the market and their alignment with upcoming regulations.
The seminar, “Estrategias para mejorar la calidad del aire y combatir el cambio climático en la utilización de maquinaria móvil en la industria de la construcción (Strategies to Improve Air Quality and Combat Climate Change in the Use of Mobile Machinery in the Construction Industry),” emphasized the construction sector’s commitment to addressing environmental challenges. It emphasized the need for international collaboration, investment in research and development, and a strong political will to achieve a more eco-friendly and sustainable industry. It highlighted the importance of modifying regulations to allow environmentally friendly technologies and stressed the need for both the public and private sectors to join forces to drive significant change in the construction industry, moving towards environmental sustainability.
The seminar was part of the actions promoted by the Climate and Clean Air in Latin American Cities Plus programme (CALAC+), funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation COSUDE in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of Peru. The initiative is being implemented in Santiago, Chile, Bogotá, Lima, and Mexico City. The current phase of CALAC+ focuses on three areas: cleaner urban transport, improving urban policies for off-road machinery, and regional and global cooperation, including topics such as electromobility, hydrogen buses, Euro VI regulations, support for the implementation of DPF filters in construction machinery, and training, among others.
Resources Day 1
- PDF Span – Experiencia en la elaboración de norma de maquinaria de construcción y sus antecedentes. Hugo Landa
- PDF Span – Plan de acción para el mejoramiento de la calidad del aire de Lima y Callao 2021-2025. Luis Guillén
- PDF Span – Acciones en Colombia: Fuentes móviles terrestres de uso fuera de carretera
- PDF Span – Nueva Norma de Emisión para Maquinaria fuera de Ruta. Nancy Manríquez
- PDF Span – Problema de las emisiones de maquinaria y estándares de emisiones aplicados
Resources Day 2
- PDF Span – Iniciativas del sector privado para la reducción de emisiones de maquinaria. Cristian Peters
- PDF Span – Achieving NetZero. UK strategies for reducing NRMM emissions. Daniel Marsh
- PDF Span – Herramienta para la gestión de maquinarias móviles – DOORS. Henry Cheung
- PDF Span – Estrategia de Reducción de Emisiones Non-Road en California. POLICIES. Henry Cheung
- PDF Span – Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association and European Association of Internal Combustion Engine and Alternative Powertrain Manufacturers. Steve Berry
Source: CALAC+ project
Further information:
Web Proyecto CALAC+
Fact Sheet CALAC+ project
