Source: AGCIDCHILE / CALAC+ Programme

Supporting the first green hydrogen bus pilot and bringing electromobility to regions: second phase of the air decontamination programme presented.

Markus Dutly, Ambassador of Switzerland in Chile, emphasised that «this Embassy is committed to facilitating technical exchange and collaboration to tackle climate change» and congratulated Chile «for being an example and a driving force in the region on electromobility in public transport», at the launching ceremony of the second phase of the Calac+ programme.

The initiative has been running since 2018 in Santiago, Lima, Bogota and Mexico City. It finances technology for projects to reduce air pollution, protect human health and mitigate climate change by deploying a more efficient public transport fleet and off-road machinery with lower emissions of soot and greenhouse gases. The programme is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and has an investment of CHF 786,000 (about US$ 800,000) in Chile, for the 2018 – 2025 period.

The second phase will strengthen capacities and provide technical assistance to the Ministries of Environment, Transport and Public Works for drafting and implementing emission standards, implementing particulate filters in machinery, supporting electric bus pilots in the regions and conducting studies for green hydrogen buses in Santiago.

CALAC+ focuses its work on three main issues. First, moving towards cleaner urban transport (introducing electric buses, green hydrogen buses etc.); second, developing public policies for a significant reduction of ultrafine particles, soot and greenhouse gases from off-road machinery (construction and industry sectors); and third, sharing at regional and global level the systematised experiences on public policies, profitable actions and technologies, good practices and lessons learned to reduce fuel consumption, air pollution and carbon emissions in urban areas.

The second phase of CALAC+ in Chile was presented at a ceremony held at the Swiss Club in Santiago, attended by the Ambassador-designate of Switzerland in Chile, Markus Dutly; the Executive Director of AGCID, Enrique O’Farrill and the Head of the Air Quality Division of the Ministry of Environment, Rocío Toro, who highlighted the cooperation between Chile and Switzerland on environmental issues and their international commitment to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The Ambassador-designate of Switzerland in Chile referred to Switzerland’s long tradition in environmental and climate cooperation. «This Embassy is committed to facilitating technical exchange and collaboration to tackle climate change» he said, and congratulated Chile «for being an example and a driving force in the region on electromobility in public transport». He also stressed that «Swiss cooperation has been present in Chile for over 60 years, and this new phase of the programme is the result of the good bilateral relations between Chile and Switzerland, in the environmental and climate fields, which were reaffirmed with the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding in 2015».

Enrique O’Farrill, Executive Director of AGCID, emphasised the importance of this programme for continuing to promote electromobility in the country. «We are very satisfied, and are happy to start a second phase of this programme that points to the future, to the possibility of bringing more electric buses and formulating better public policies, helping us to have more sustainable and decontaminated cities. International cooperation, and in this particular case, the cooperation of Switzerland (the SDC), allows the countries of the Pacific Alliance to share experiences and knowledge, helping us to improve together the air quality of the four cities participating in the programme, through which we confirm our commitment to the 2030 Agenda, to find global solutions,» he concluded.

Rocio Toro, the head of the Air Quality Division at the Ministry of Environment, said «We are happy to be able to continue and further the work on air quality and climate change. The transfer of knowledge and experience has strengthened the capacities of our ministries, in particular on new technologies to move towards cleaner transport, significantly reducing greenhouse gases, ultrafine particles and soot in urban areas and construction and industry».

In the last decade, Chile-Switzerland cooperation has worked mainly in energy efficiency, corporate water management, youth and climate action, urban development, and air decontamination.

About the CALAC+ Programme

The Climate and Clean Air in Latin American Cities Plus Programme (CALAC+), through a variety of actions, accompanies authorities and counterparts (ministries, municipalities and transport sector organisations) by providing inputs and technical evidence for informed decision-making in formulating public policies in each country. Since 2018, the programme has been supporting Chile in meeting the goals of the Metropolitan Region’s Air Pollution Prevention and Decontamination Plan and of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).

In its first phase, CALAC+ supported Chile in measuring particulate matter in technical inspection plants for vehicles with particulate filters, with a life cycle analysis study of electric buses circulating in Santiago, and in conducting the economic and social impact analysis for the particulate matter measurement standard. It updated the national inventory of off-road machinery and provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Public Works for implementing filters in its own machinery.

Source: ACDI-Chile

For further information:
CALAC+ Programme Web page