Taipei wins C40 Cities award for clean air programme

Taipei City Government was presented with the C40 Cities Citizen’s Choice Award in New York on Tuesday alongside the UN Climate Summit.

The award was announced at the C40 and Siemens City Climate Leadership Awards ceremony and recognised Taipei for its Clean Air—It’s Your Move initiative.

Hau Lung-bin, Mayor of Taipei, said: “It is a supreme honour to be recognized globally for tireless devotion to sustainable urban environments. The award is also testament to the efforts of all city residents in maintaining superior air quality.”

The award was presented by Eduardo Paes, chairman of C40 Cities and mayor of Rio de Janeiro.

Former Norwegian Prime Minister Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, a pioneer of sustainable development and winner of the inaugural Tang Prize, later went onstage to congratulate Hau and the city on the achievement.

Beating 31 projects from 26 cities worldwide, Taipei clinched the honour through majority support in a global online poll.

The city was nominated alongside London and Mexico City.

Hau praised the role of local government in improving Taipei’s air quality, saying: “Some of our undertakings include a green transportation network comprising low-emission buses, an extensive mass rapid transit system and YouBike service. The public bike rental system has been instrumental in reducing air pollution, with numbers of days marked by poor air quality down from 68 in 2004 to just six in 2013.”

According to YouBike operator Giant Taiwan Co. Ltd., the system boasts the world’s No. 1 usage rate, surpassing similar services in Barcelona, London, New York and Paris.

The awards were created in 2013 by Siemens and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a network of cities worldwide committed to addressing climate risks and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.