The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has delivered a batch of new communal vehicles for Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
Tbilisi Municipality received a variety vehicles, including street sweeping machines, rubbish trucks, aerial work platforms, and more.
In a Facebook posting, the EBRD stated that it was pleased to support environmental improvements while upgrading municipal services. “The new cars will reduce emissions, air pollution and road safety risks in the city.”
The machinery was provided as part of the EBRD Green Cities program. This program helps cities apply a comprehensive approach to identifying environmental challenges and prioritizing them, and then connecting these with infrastructure investments and policies measures. Tbilisi is one of the first cities to have joined the EBRD Green Cities family.
The EBRD’s Green Cities Initiative
Cities in EBRD-regions face a number of challenges. These include inadequate infrastructure investment, changing demographics, poorer air quality, and a legacy that is high on energy consumption and carbon intensity. Many of these cities are especially vulnerable to climate change impacts. They experience increased heat stress and extreme weather. Solid waste management is also a major issue, with recycling rates that are well below EU standards.
In order to address these issues, EBRD launched its EBRD Green Cities Initiative, which aims to foster a sustainable future for urban areas, and their residents. This program is based on three main pillars.
1. Green City Action Plans: These plans evaluate environmental challenges, prioritise them, and outline the strategies to address them through policy reforms, sustainable infrastructure investments, and other means.
2. Sustainable Infrastructure Investment: This initiative encourages and supports green investments in critical areas, such as water and waste management, urban transportation, district energy systems and energy-efficient buildings. It also supports other measures that will enhance the resilience of cities to climate-related shocks.
3. Capacity Building: EBRD provides assistance to city administrators, local stakeholders and other stakeholders in order to ensure that the infrastructure projects, policy measures and GCAPs are developed, implemented and monitored.
The overarching goal of EBRD Green Cities is to preserve environmental assets, such as air quality and water resources. It also aims to adapt to climate change risks and enhance cities’ resilience.
EBRD aims at promoting sustainable urban development in its regions through these initiatives. This will help create cities that are healthier and more resilient for their residents, as well as more livable.
By Team GT
Read More @ georgiatoday.ge