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6 November 2025

Press Release Bogotá

Breathe Cities Applauds the City of Bogotá, Earthshot Prize Winner

Colombian capital city honoured for its pioneering efforts to clean the air for eight million residents. Bogotá joined Breathe Cities during New York Climate Week in 2024 and, through the initiative, is working to further reduce pollution from road transport and construction machinery and expand the city’s air quality monitoring.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The city of Bogotá has been announced as the winner of the ‘clean our air’ category of the 2025 Earthshot Prize, a prestigious award that celebrates innovators solving global challenges and which was presented days before climate negotiations begin at COP30.

The award is the latest acknowledgement of the city’s pioneering clean air leadership. Last year, Mayor Galán announced that Bogotá’s efforts had resulted in it being selected to join Breathe Cities, a first-of-its-kind initiative from Clean Air Fund, C40 Cities, and Bloomberg Philanthropies to clean the air, cut carbon emissions, and enhance public health in cities around the world.

Bogotá has shown that tackling air pollution is possible and is inspiring other cities across the globe with its proven solutions. The city now boasts the largest cycle path network in Latin America and one of the world’s biggest electric bus fleets with over 1,400 buses. In 2023, it launched a Clean Air Zone (ZUMA) in a socio-economically vulnerable area in the southwest of the city. The ZUMA aims to reduce emissions and improve air quality to ensure the benefits of clean air are felt by those who need it most. Breathe Cities is supporting the city’s efforts to measure and report the impact of its ZUMA, including the changes in air quality, mobility, public space, and benefits for communities.

“Air pollution affects our lives from before we take our first breath until our last, but Mayor Galán and the City of Bogotá are proving it’s possible to drive action, and fast. The Earthshot Award is a powerful acknowledgement of their leadership on clean air as part of Breathe Cities. Together, we’re investing in better public transport and cycle infrastructure for Bogotá’s eight million residents and ensuring lessons from Bogotá are shared with cities across the globe,” said Jane Burston, CEO of the Clean Air Fund.

Accepting the award at the Earthshot Prize ceremony, Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán said:

Highlights

The City of Bogotá has been announced as the winner of the 2025 Earthshot Prize’s ‘Clean Our Air’ category, recognising its pioneering clean air leadership on the global stage.

Bogotá now boasts Latin America’s largest cycle path network, one of the world’s biggest electric bus fleets with more than 1,400 buses and a Clean Air Zone designed to improve air quality in a socio-economically vulnerable area.

Through Breathe Cities, Bogotá is advancing efforts to reduce pollution from transport and industry, expand air-quality monitoring and share lessons that inspire clean air action in cities worldwide.

This prize recognises the efforts of an entire city, several administrations and many people so that all those who live in Bogotá can breathe better air, have a more sustainable public transport system, and a greener city.

Carlos Fernando Galán

Mayor of Bogotá

Breathe Cities brings together a cohort of 14 cities across five continents, committed to going further and faster to clean the air their 77 million residents breathe. The initiative aims to cut toxic air pollution and carbon emissions 30% by 2030 (from 2019 levels) among participating cities.

Over the last two years, cleaner air across the Breathe Cities prevented over 10,000 children from developing asthma. More than 1,100 low-cost sensors have been installed, providing hyperlocal, real time data collection on air quality. Some 300 city officials, 61 cities and 130 local partners, CSOs and community groups worldwide have been engaged worldwide – sharing lessons, connecting action, and building a powerful voice globally on clean air action.

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