site.btaSofia Climate Neutrality Agreement Aimed to Cut City's Emissions by 80% until 2030

The Bulgarian capital plans to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% until 2030, Mayor Vasil Terziev said at a briefing on Friday after signing an Agreement on Climate Neutrality of Sofia earlier in the day. The signatories also include business executives, representatives of professional associations and members of the scientific community.

"This is a pivotal document which shows the commitment of Sofia Municipality to achieving the goals of sustainability and innovation in climate management," Terziev said.

Sofia participates in an EU mission for 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 under a project called NetZeroCities. The agreement was approved by the Municipal Council on Thursday.

According to the Mayor, emissions reduction will involve over 30 measures which should be implemented in the coming years at an estimated cost of more than EUR 800 million. "This calls for a lot of work to be done by the administration, businesses and educational institutions," he added.

The effort will be focused on the sectors which can contribute most to minimizing harmful emissions. One of these sectors is transport, where the municipal authorities will make a huge effort to upgrade the public vehicle fleet and to ensure that the public transport system handles 80% of rides in the city by 2035. Other initiatives will be targeted at the construction sector and waste management.