Four cities to receive funding boost for new climate projects

Solar-powered e-buses in Rabat, Morocco

• Rabat will roll out 30 new e-buses along a new north-south express line connecting Salé, Rabat, and Témara, and install rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) at up to three bus depots. This transformative project will combine electric mobility and renewable energy within a single framework, setting a precedent for integrated infrastructure delivery across Morocco. It also offers the chance to test innovative governance and contractual models for transit operators, providing valuable lessons for other urban contexts in Morocco and the wider Mena region.

Clean ferries in Cartagena, Colombia

• Cartagena is creating a reliable, low-emission passenger ferry network to connect its industrial, residential, commercial, and tourism centres with communities, including the island of Tierra Bomba. This project replaces old diesel-powered boats with 10 new, clean ferries and 10 new or improved docks, complete with charging stations. Fully integrated with the existing Transcaribe bus system, this network will dramatically cut commute times, improve travel safety, and significantly expand fair access to jobs, healthcare and education for underserved island and coastal residents. As the first project of its kind in Colombia, it offers a replicable model for other cities located on coasts and rivers.

With the support of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), CFF will collaborate with these cities to prepare and implement these projects to improve the lives of residents with large-scale, measurable impact.

“It is not merely about renewing our bus fleet, but rather a foundational investment designed to enhance the quality of life for all citizens across Greater Rabat”

Launched in 2015 at Cop21 in Paris by Rio mayor Eduardo Paes, CFF has become a leading project preparation facility partnering with cities in the Global South to enable transformative climate action. By putting cities’ best interests first, CFF is helping cities prepare and implement urban infrastructure projects that address the impacts and injustices of climate breakdown and that make a real difference to people’s lives.

“For the first time in Colombia, our residents will have an aquatic service designed for them – one that will make it easier to reach jobs, healthcare, and education,” said Dumek Turbay, mayor of Cartagena.

"We dreamed it together, we heard it from our communities, and today we make it a reality: a sustainable transport system that unites, connects, and improves the lives of all Cartageneros.”

“For the first time in Colombia, our residents will have an aquatic service designed for them – one that will make it easier to reach jobs, healthcare, and education”

Fatiha el Moudni, mayor of Rabat, said: “This pivotal project is a key step in implementing our strategic vision for sustainable urban mobility. It is not merely about renewing our bus fleet, but rather a foundational investment designed to enhance the quality of life for all citizens across Greater Rabat.”

Co-director of the C40 Cities Finance Facility, Ingrid Simon, said: “The C40 Cities Finance Facility is delighted to announce its four new partner cities – Belo Horizonte, Cartagena, São Paulo and Rabat – whose fantastic projects will build communities’ resilience to extreme heat and flooding, connect people to employment and services, and create cleaner, healthier environments.

“Thanks to the support of the German and British governments, we’re proud to continue to assist cities in developing real projects that make a real difference to people’s lives.”