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Jaime Pumarejo, former Mayor of Barranquilla in Colombia, joins the Clean Air Fund as the new Executive Director of Breathe Cities, an initiative delivered by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Clean Air Fund and C40 Cities that supports cities around the world to cut their air pollution and climate emissions.
Jaime will lead the programme after serving as Mayor of Barranquilla between 2020-23, earning national recognition for steering the city through the COVID-19 crisis and establishing it as a model for sustainable and inclusive urban development. He also served as Colombia’s Housing and Urban Development Minister in 2017.
Breathe Cities aims to reduce air pollution and climate emissions by 30% within 10 years by supporting better air quality monitoring, engaging affected communities and giving technical support to city governments. Jaime’s appointment will strengthen Breathe Cities’ efforts, enhancing climate action and public health in cities around the world. The initiative will benefit from Jaime’s experience in realising the benefits of clean air for cities and their residents.
I am excited to take on the leadership of this crucial initiative and help clean the air that millions of city dwellers breathe every day. Each Breathe City is already putting together an actionable plan to reduce air pollution and climate emissions by 2030 and set an example to other urban areas. I hope we can expand the initiative even further and help millions more experience the health, environmental, economic and social justice benefits that clean air brings.
Jaime Pumarejo
Executive Director of Breathe Cities
“We are delighted that Jaime will lead Breathe Cities. With 99% of us breathing toxic air, Jaime’s wealth of experience tackling the biggest problems facing cities will be invaluable – both accelerating practical action, and raising clean air as an urgent priority,” said Jane Burston, CEO of Clean Air Fund.
“Residents in cities around the world deserve clean air. As a former mayor, Jaime knows what it takes—from leveraging data to fostering robust public engagement and designing and delivering smart policy innovations— to deliver exceptional results for people on the ground. We’re thrilled to welcome him as Breathe Cities’ Executive Director. With Jaime at the helm, Breathe Cities will help secure cleaner, healthier air for local communities while safeguarding our climate for future generations,” said Antha Williams, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Environment Program.
“With Jaime’s award-winning track record of greening Barranquilla through Todos al Parque and establishing it as a model for sustainable urban development, his appointment as the new Executive Director of Breathe Cities means we are poised for significant progress to help cities breathe again – removing the blight of air pollution. I am confident that his vision will drive transformative change and set an example for cities worldwide,” said Mark Watts, Executive Director at C40 Cities.
The announcement follows Breathe Cities’ expansion beyond its pilot programmes in Warsaw and London, to cities including Accra, Brussels, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Milan, Nairobi, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and Sofia.