Iloilo City Mayor Shares Lessons on Green Transportation at the Unido Bridge for Cities Conference in Vienna 

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas (second from right) presented Iloilo City’s net-zero transport initiatives to a global panel of Mayors as part of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Bridge for Cities event on 4-5 September 2023.

VIENNA 11 September 2023 – Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas presented insights on Iloilo City’s efforts to embark on a “green lane” toward reducing CO₂ emissions through its sustainable development projects when he represented the Philippines at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s (UNIDO) “Bridge for Cities” conference held in Vienna, Austria on 04 to 05 September 2023.

The Bridge for Cities event organized by UNIDO promotes city-to-city partnerships and knowledge-sharing on best practices in achieving the goals of the 2023 Agenda for Sustainable Development. During the conference’s Mayors Dialogue, Mayor Treñas engaged in discussions on clean transportation solutions with fellow city government representatives hailing from Glasgow (United Kingdom), Lilongwe (Malawi), Münster (Germany), Gyumri (Armenia), Kranj (Slovenia), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), and Amman (Jordan). Entitled, “Advancing innovation and partnerships for a net zero transport,” the Mayors Dialogue delved into diverse case studies from the represented cities’ projects in innovating clean transport technologies and renewable energy solutions.

“The move towards zero CO₂ emissions is a major step for us in achieving the goals of the Philippine Climate Resilient Cities Program… Promoting an environment-friendly transport system is one of the commitments of my administration in line with our development roadmap called W.H.E.E.L.S. (Welfare, Health and Sanitation, Education, Environmental Management, Livelihood, and Sustainability) for inclusive development,” said Mayor Treñas. His presentation featured Iloilo City’s celebrated bike lane linkage project, which includes three major bike lane networks spanning Iloilo’s major plazas, esplanades, and parks. Known as the “Bike Capital'' of the Philippines, Iloilo has earned both national and international recognition for its strides in introducing eco-friendly mobility.

In addition to being voted as the Philippines’ “Most Progressive Low Carbon Transport City,'' Iloilo was selected as a pilot site of the Climate Resilience Cities Project (PCRC) by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Beyond its commitment to net-zero transport, Iloilo’s various efforts to reduce its carbon footprint encompass an array of promising initiatives. In particular, panel moderator Rana Ghoneim (UNIDO Energy Systems and Decarbonization Unit) praised Iloilo’s dedicated stewardship of green spaces, such as the 3-hectare Iloilo Tree Park Development Project and its 35-hectare mangrove forest, which is part of the city’s interconnected network of greening projects.

Noting climate change’s urgent consequences in Iloilo and beyond, Mayor Treñas concluded the session by highlighting the potential for fellow city government officials to enact pioneering solutions in fostering inclusive, sustainable development. END

Mayor Treñas shared insights on Iloilo’s pioneering bike lane linkage initiatives: “Iloilo City is embarking on a ‘green lane’ to reduce CO₂ emissions. We are connecting the city’s plazas, esplanade, and tree parks via a network of bicycle lanes… We aim to have a bikeable and walkable city, thus reducing our carbon footprint.”

For more information, visit https://www.viennape.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippine-embassy.at or https://www.facebook.com/PHinAustria/,   https://www.twitter.com/PHLinAustria or https://www.instagram.com/phinaustria/