Kenyan First Lady calls for non-motorized urban mobility to hasten green transition

NAIROBI, June 6 (Xinhua) --

The First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, Rachel Ruto, on Tuesday called on municipal authorities across Africa to promote non-motorized urban mobility in order to hasten realization of carbon neutrality.

Speaking during the launch of the Global Alliance of Cities for Road Safety at the second session of the United Nations Habitat assembly underway in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, Ruto said that the adoption of two wheel machines like bicycles and scooters is key to slash carbon emission in cities.

"The uptake of non-motorized transport like cycling will not only boost cardiovascular and mental health, but also ease congestion and lower greenhouse gas emission in our cities and small towns," Ruto said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ruto took a 10.8-kilometer bicycle ride from State House, the President's official residence, to the United Nations Offices in Nairobi, in an effort to arouse public awareness on the benefits of non-motorized urban mobility.

Collaborating with UN agencies, the Global Alliance of Cities for Road Safety seeks to empower municipal authorities to scale up innovations that promote seamless and carbon-free mobility in metropolises.

Ruto said that smart policies and legislation, targeted investments in supportive infrastructure and awareness are key to boosting adoption of green mobility in rapidly growing cities and towns.

The second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly kicked off on Monday in Nairobi under the theme of "A sustainable urban future through effective multilateralism: achieving the sustainable development goals in times of global crises."

An estimated 5,000 delegates, including ministers, mayors, industry leaders, researchers, innovators and civil society actors from 193 UN member states, are expected to attend the five-day meeting.

Among key highlights of the assembly was the First Ladies High-Level Dialogue on "Women Shaping Cities and Communities," which was chaired by Ruto.

During the dialogue, Ruto said that non-motorized transport combined with sustainable waste management and regeneration of green spaces will be key to realizing urban renewal in Africa.