If you share our commitment to clean air and would like to hear news from Breathe Cities, sign up to our email updates.
You can opt out at any time. To read our full Privacy Policy, please click here.
Today at the U20 Summit, Rio de Janeiro announced the plans for ‘Breathe Rio de Janeiro’ as part of its partnership with Breathe Cities to reduce air pollution, cut carbon emissions, improve public health and reduce inequalities in one of Brazil’s largest cities. As mayors from around the world gathered in Rio, Mayor Eduardo Paes and leaders from the global initiative outlined the strategy to help clean the city’s air.
Delivered by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Clean Air Fund, and C40 Cities, Breathe Cities gives cities greater access to air quality data to support the implementation of tailored policies that benefit local economies and communities, and connect with cities across the globe to share learnings. Some 14 cities worldwide, from Jakarta to Johannesburg, are now part of Breathe Cities, which aims to reduce air pollution by 30% on average across participating cities by 2030.
At COP28 last year, Rio de Janeiro became the first Latin American city to join the initiative, and today’s launch details the specific actions that will be taken in the city, which were agreed to after extensive consultation with local government and civil society representatives.
Breathe Rio de Janeiro, launched today, will:
The launch during the U20 Summit brings together leaders from other Breathe Cities around the world to mark the moment, including Johannesburg’s Mayor Dada Morero and Accra’s Mayor Elizabeth Sackey, alongside city officials from Rio and Adalberto Maluf, National Secretary of Urban Environment and Environmental Quality in Brazil.
Our partnership with Breathe Cities will help us scale our efforts to combat air pollution, drive climate action, safeguard the health of our residents and reduce inequalities. Brazil has taken tremendous strides toward delivering climate solutions alongside municipalities and city leaders, which we hope to share as we welcome the world for COP30 next year. With the additional support and expertise of this global initiative, we are well-equipped to make substantial progress in enhancing air quality and reducing carbon emissions in our city.
Eduardo Paes
Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro has long been at the forefront of urban action on clean air and climate change. Breathe Rio will build on these foundations to support the municipality to achieve its Sustainable Development and Climate Action Plan by 2030. Overall, it’s estimated that reducing air pollution by 30% by 2030 in Rio would prevent over 1,100 premature deaths a year, save $2 billion in annual costs from avoided deaths and disability, and avoid around 2,370 new cases of asthma in children per year and 6.4 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
Globally, 2.6 billion people live in cities that exceed the World Health Organisation’s guidelines for air pollutants. Toxic air accounted for 8.1 million deaths in 2021, and is now the second leading risk factor for death, ahead of tobacco use.
“With mayors from across the globe gathered in Rio for the Urban 20 Summit, this is an important moment to show the world that action on clean air is climate action. Ahead of COP30, Rio de Janeiro is setting a powerful example across Latin America and beyond through its commitment to sustainable urban development. Breathe Rio will help accelerate the city’s action on clean air by providing support to better understand its air pollution and take targeted action that benefits communities, and roll-out solutions like an expanded VLT and a new transport hub. Cleaner air saves lives, cuts carbon emissions, and can contribute to more inclusive, equitable and thriving cities – and as part of Breathe Cities, Rio de Janeiro’s residents will breathe the benefits,” said Jaime Pumarejo, Executive Director of Breathe Cities.
“Rio de Janeiro’s proactive approach to tackling air pollution, with its emphasis on electrification and accessibility in public transportation, is exactly what we need to inspire global action. From expanding the light rail to improving pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, we are eager to support Rio de Janeiro and Mayor Paes on this ambitious journey and look forward to witnessing the positive impacts on the health and well-being of Rio de Janeiro residents,” said Antha Williams, Environment Program Lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies.
“Under Mayor Paes’ leadership, Rio has forged a world-leading path of clean, green and inclusive urban transformation. I am delighted that as part of Breathe Cities, Rio de Janeiro, with the support of the Brazilian national government, is now setting a global example with its actions to improve air quality and protect public health. This collaboration will amplify their efforts and demonstrate to other cities the impact of innovative solutions and dedicated leadership,” said Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities.