UNEP chief uses electric BMW in Lima for COP20

Achim Steiner, the Under-Secretary-General of the UN and UNEP Executive Director, has been travelling around Lima, Peru in a BMWi3 electric car at the UN Climate Change Conference as the city seeks to embrace sustainable transport solutions and emissions reduction.

The Twentieth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP20) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been taking place in the Peruvian capital since 1 December and the i3 was delivered to Mr Steiner (pictured in car) as part of the Sustainable Innovation Forum 2014 (SIF14) being run by Climate Action.

Glenn Schmidt, Head of Steering Government Affairs at the BMW Group, handed over the car to the UNEP chief at the Westin Hotel; venue of SIF14 that was held on 9 December.

Schmidt (pictured standing) was a key participant at the forum and presented BMW's sustainable transport solutions on a high-level plenary panel debate covering sustainable urbanisation and resilient cities.

Driven by a locally emission-free electric motor, the BMW i3 uses eDrive drivetrain technology and is designed for life in the city. It boasts an impressive real-world range of up to 100 miles thanks to a high-voltage lithium ion battery and the BMW i3 Range Extender adds to the achievable range.

The innovative LifeDrive architecture with its Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) passenger compartment also uses high-quality, sustainable materials throughout.

Sustainable transport has been a theme of the city Mayor, Susana Villaran's leadership and she was another key participant at Climate Action's 5th annual forum.