The 30 Green Corridors project won at the 2019 Ashden Awards in the category Cooling for People for its contributions to improve the thermal sensation of Medellín. This is the first time Ashden opens this category, an to do it, they joined world-renowned organizations such as Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP) and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL).
The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín together with the Secretariats of Environment and Physical Infrastructure, led the application process for the award, thus contributing to the international positioning of Medellín and its best practices.
Ashden is a British charity which defends and supports sustainable energy leaders to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon world. On June 26, they recognized the 30 Green Corridors project as the absolute winner in the category Cooling for People through its social networks.
The award ceremony will be held within the framework of the first Week of Climate Action in London on July 3 at the Royal Geographical Society. Mary Robinson, the first woman to hold the presidency of Ireland and defender of human rights associated with the concept of climate justice, will preside the event.
The 30 Green Corridors project was selected for its contribution to the relief of heat stress in the city and it stood out from other world experiences such as Addis Ababa (Capital of Ethiopia) and the City of Singapore.
“Medellín is a city which has overcome countless challenges. At this moment, caring for the environment and our air quality are two crucial issues we are facing. Structural solutions such as the Green Corridors are a strong commitment to improving the lives of our citizens. We are very excited that Ashden selected us and to be a benchmark for sustainability for the world,” said the Mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga.
About Green Corridors:
The project consists of planting trees, shrubs, palms, and green cover in an environmental network which connects: streams, hills, parks, and roads.
The Green Corridors are part of the strategy A greener Medellín for you, which consolidates an ecological network consisting of 18 roadways, 12 river basins and the Nutibara, El Volador and La Asomadera hills.
The Green Corridors offer a variety of ecosystem services, among which are the following:
- An estimated reduction up to 2°C of the environment temperature.
- The decrease of the heat island effect.
- The capture of particulate matter, improving air quality.
- The improvement of conditions for the conservation of biodiversity and the increase in the types of flora species.
- The consolidation of an ecological network which allows the generation of new city scenarios, through the recovery and programmed sowing, the greening and modeling of the landscape within the framework of the man – ecosystem relationship.
- The prioritization of the safety of pedestrians facilitating their mobility on crosswalks through planters and sidewalks.
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