This morning, Seville City Council, accompanied by Sevilla City One, participated in the fourth edition of Making Mission. Climate transition and competitiveness in Spanish cities.
Minerva Salas, Seville City Council’s third deputy mayor and delegate for European funds, the urban agenda, sustainability and strategic plans, participated in the roundtable discussion ‘Implementing the European Mission in Spanish Cities: Cities in Action’, alongside mayors and councillors from cities that have joined the Cities 2030 initiative.
Also in attendance from Seville were Juana Leal del Ojo Chamorro, head of the European Funds, Urban Agenda, Sustainability, Strategic Plans and City Projection department; César Gallardo, head of the Energy and Sustainability Agency; Eladio Romero, Environmental Coordinator of Seville City Council; and Pilar Mena, founding partner and director of IR at Sevilla City One.
Seville reaffirms its commitment to climate action.
During her speech, Minerva Salas reaffirmed the Andalusian capital’s leadership and commitment to climate change, recalling that Seville was the first Spanish capital to declare a climate emergency. The city, directly exposed to the effects of climate change – such as high temperatures or long periods of drought – has worked steadily since the signing of the Aalborg Charter in 1999, and has recently taken a further step by approving the Climate Agreement of the City of Seville, which sets out an ambitious and structural roadmap.
“From Seville we understand that the fight against climate change requires a profound and structural transformation of our urban model. With the recently approved Climate Agreement, we are committed to a fairer, decarbonised and resilient city, where public-private cooperation and citizen involvement are fundamental‘, said Minerva Salas, who also pointed out that ’Seville is promoting alliances with the business sector and universities to promote applied climate innovation, generating green jobs and opportunities for productive transformation. We are grateful that entities such as Sevilla City One, essential for us in relation to the actions of the built environment, is in Santander with all of you to learn how we work and incorporate communication in the most effective way to the Climate Mission”.
Concrete actions in multiple sectors
During its presentation, Seville shared its main lines of action, which are structured around four priority areas. The City Council is promoting strategic actions in key sectors to reduce emissions and make the city more sustainable. In terms of mobility, work is underway to electrify private transport by installing 350 charging points, renewing the municipal bus fleet (79% of which is already green) and developing the Metropolitan Low Emission Zone, as well as extending the cycling network. Key infrastructures such as metro line 3 and new tram connections are also under development.
Regarding energy efficiency, public schools are being refurbished and the first eco-neighbourhood in Seville is being developed, alongside intelligent lighting and social housing refurbishment projects. Other noteworthy initiatives include Life Watercool and collaboration with the Urbanew consortium.
In terms of waste management, Lipasam is spearheading the shift towards more efficient, zero-emission waste collection, while EMASESA is implementing innovative solutions for the entire water cycle and has achieved 70% energy self-sufficiency in its facilities. Finally, urban afforestation projects and the Replanta Seville agreement will enable the planting of over 5,700 trees within the next three years.
“Our commitment is not new: we have been promoting actions in urban sustainability for more than two decades. Today we are reinforcing this path by working together with other European cities to turn Seville into a benchmark for climate innovation, committed to sustainable mobility, energy efficiency and climate justice as the cornerstones of the urban future”, he stressed.
This event has served as a space for reflection and collaborative work between municipalities committed to sustainable urban transformation and climate neutrality before 2030.
