site.btaSofia Committed to Tackle Climate Change - Mayor Fandakova

Sofia Committed to Tackle Climate Change - Mayor Fandakova

Sofia/Paris, December 4 (BTA) - Sofia is making a clear commitment to continue working towards meeting the goals for fighting climate change, Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova told BTA in Paris on Friday. She is attending the Paris Climate Change Conference for local leaders at the invitation of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

The Sofia Mayor recalled the climate change agreements and declarations her city has joined in recent years, explaining that the common goal is to reduce CO2 emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 and achieve a 40 per cent reduction of harmful emissions by 2030. In 2012, Sofia Municipality developed a special programme with Horizon 2020 for achieving these goals and is currently working on it.

According to Fandakova, Sofia's efforts are aimed at transport, energy efficiency of buildings and waste management. She underscored that Sofia Municipality is working hard to modernize the city transport and complete the energy renovation of all public buildings by 2020.

She further explained that modern waste management facilities have been built, which allow for the production of electricity and compost from waste. The expected results are for Sofia to start recycling over 50 per cent of its waste.

According to the Mayor, the energy efficiency measures are aimed precisely at reducing harmful emissions and using renewable energy sources in municipal buildings. Sofia Municipality has planted over 90 ha of trees and is planning to plant around 10 more ha each year on its territory, Fandakova noted.