The City of Bogotá has implemented bold clean air policies to cut air pollution by 24% since 2018, redesigning how 8 million people move and live, and building a healthier, greener city.
Bogotá has long battled air pollution caused by diesel public buses, freight trucks, and dust from unpaved roads, especially in its most vulnerable neighbourhoods.
Between 1998 and 2005, Bogotá’s air quality reached critical levels. Concentrations of particulate matter exceeded seven times the limit currently set out by the World Health Organisation. This had a severe impact on public health, particularly amongst children, the elderly, and low-income communities.
Urban air pollution is a health issue for every city on Earth. For more than 40% of global cities, the challenge is significant, with pollutant levels many times higher than is safe.
To overcome this challenge, Bogotá’s leaders set out an ambitious plan to transform the city. They prioritised walking and cycling, reclaiming street space for pedestrians, expanding greenery and restricting heavy freight vehicles, while also introducing cleaner public transport and building a new metro line.
A flagship step was the launch of the first Urban Zone for Clean Air (ZUMA) in Bosa, a highly polluted, low-income area in the city’s southwest. The area aims to reduce emissions and improve air quality by integrating measures such as freight renewal, road paving, greening and safer walking and cycling.
These policies, upheld through multiple administrations, have had a significant impact on Bogotá. The city now boasts the largest cycle path network in Latin America, one of the world’s biggest electric bus fleets at over 1,400 buses, three new cable car lines and more than 100km of dedicated low-emission bus routes.
Bogotá has also acted to re-green degraded areas. The city has planted over 1,000 new trees, 7,000 urban gardens, and over 20,000 m² of green roofs and vertical gardens — all part of a wider $19.9 billion investment in sustainable mobility, air quality, and green public space.
Overall, the results are clear. Since 2018, air pollution has fallen by 24% despite a growing population. Traffic has eased, commutes have shortened, and physical activity has risen, delivering cleaner air, healthier citizens and more liveable neighbourhoods.
By 2028, Bogotá expects to avoid over 300,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent each year – the same as preserving a forest ten times the size of Manhattan or taking 65,000 cars off the road.
Bogotá’s journey from a city once struggling with air pollution to now leading one of the region’s most ambitious initiatives in clean air, sustainable mobility and climate action shows what is possible.
Being an Earthshot Prize Finalist is incredibly special for Bogotá as through this international platform we can shine a light on how coordinated action across transport, freight, and green infrastructure can drastically improve air quality.
We hope this can be replicated in other cities across the globe. If Bogotá wins The Earthshot Prize, it would not just be an honour for us, but for cities in the Global South proving that bold climate action is urgent and possible.
