Skip to main content

Caterpillar Foundation supports sustainable cities Initiative

The Caterpillar Foundation today announced a five-year, $12.5 million grant to the World Resources Institute (WRI) to advance the progress of environmentally sustainable and livable cities in China, India, and Brazil.
April 25, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The 178 Caterpillar Foundation today announced a five-year, $12.5 million grant to the 5224 World Resources Institute (WRI) to advance the progress of environmentally sustainable and livable cities in China, India, and Brazil.

WRI intends to develop low-carbon city models and pathways for environmentally sustainable urbanisation (ESU), and to promote the diffusion of environmentally smart and livable cities. The institute will partner with up to five urban centrer to demonstrate how they can use “avoid, shift and improve” strategies to increase energy efficiency, curb greenhouse gas emissions, and improve water quality, urban mobility and land use.

“Sustainable urbanisation is challenging, and the World Resources Institute has a proven track record of developing innovative approaches to the world’s biggest environmental and sustainability issues,” said Kevin Thieneman, Caterpillar China, India and ASEAN country manager. “Caterpillar is proud to support WRI’s work to create more sustainable and livable cities. It is our hope that the lessons learned in China, India and Brazil will guide the world’s urban centres toward more sustainable growth models that will generate practical solutions for managing rapid urbanisation and improve the lives of millions of people.”

WRI will create “blueprints” — low-carbon plans for environmentally sustainable and livable cities — to catalyse and help implement large-scale, high-impact demonstration projects. It will then conduct a prodigious targeted outreach effort to disseminate lessons learned to other growing cities to help them scale up and adapt key elements to their own conditions.

China, India, and Brazil are among the world’s most rapidly urbanising nations. In China, experts predict that by 2030 more than 70 per cent of its people will live in cities, and that 221 cities will have at least one million residents, while in India and Brazil, urban growth is explosive and poses poses substantial challenges.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • India’s IRTE wins top Prince Michael of Kent Safety Award
    July 4, 2019
    India’s Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) was among the international winners at the annual Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards in London. IRTE picked up the Premier Award for its road injury prevention programme and for being a key partner in the Safer Cars for India project established by Global NCAP, an independent certification body that evaluates the safety of vehicles. Part of IRTE’s strategy has been the setting up of what is believed to be Asia’s first Masters of Science i
  • UN Summit launches Urban Electric Mobility Initiative to force leading cities into electric vehicles by 2030
    October 1, 2014
    The New York United Nations Climate Summit has prioritised four global transport initiatives as part of the eight actions areas that the summit has named as “critical for keeping global temperature increases to less than two degrees Celsius,” and the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI) has taken centre stage. UEMI wants cities with a specific target to ensure that electric vehicles make up 30% of their total urban vehicle population by 2030 at the latest. Joan Clos, UN-Habitat Executive Director us
  • Highway Procurement: IRF Steps up to the plate to leverage long term value
    May 15, 2019
    Public procurement can be leveraged to deliver long-term value for money, and promote innovation and sustainability, according to a new White Paper published by the International Road Federation in consultation with key international specialists. “When procurement guidelines are not enforced with a high degree of professionalism, there is a much higher risk of sub-optimal delivery,” noted Eric Cook, co-chair of the IRF Committee on Alternative Financing & Procurement, who convened the stakeholders for a h
  • Senior ADB figure urges governments to act on sustainable transport
    September 27, 2013
    Multilateral development banks (MDB) are determined to do all they can to encourage governments of developing countries meet key sustainable transport targets, according to a senior figure at one of the world’s biggest MDB’s. Guy Woodford reports Tyrrell Duncan, Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) director of Transport and Communications Division, East Asia has been at the forefront of MDB efforts to enhance sustainable transport and road safety in developing countries. Speaking during a break in talks at the In