City of Braga, Portugal, unveils new Corporate Mobility Pact

Geneva/Braga, 11 August – In the Portuguese City of Braga, the transition to more sustainable mobility is at the heart of the newly launched Braga Corporate Mobility Pact, developed by WBCSD’s Global Network partner, the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Portugal (BCSD Portugal) and the Braga City Council. 

Inspired by WBCSD’s and BCSD Portugal’s previous initiative in Lisbon, the new Mobility Pact encourages practical action and stimulates an open dialogue between the local business community and public authorities. A third Mobility Pact is also being developed by WBCSD and the City of Glasgow in the UK.  

The signature of the Pact is the culmination of a journey that started with a simple observation following the city’s first-ever Sustainability Report in 2019: 65% of Braga’s total emissions originated from urban mobility.  

The Braga Corporate Mobility Pact brings together the private sector, local public institutions and the municipality around a set of actions that will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase access to mobility solutions that improve air quality and well-being and promote healthier habits. 

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was present at the official signing ceremony on 9 June 2022, which representatives of the local government attended, as well as 35 signatory companies operating in the city. Each company has pledged its commitment to at least 2 of the 29 actions for sustainable and inclusive mobility that the Pact outlines. Some examples of such actions include: 

• Intensifying the promotion of electric vehicles in operational fleets; 

• Constructing additional charging stations in parking lots; 
• Applying efficient route management strategies to create optimal use of electric vehicles; 
• Providing and promoting information on multimodal transport and soft mobility on corporate websites and in communications with customers, suppliers and visitors. 

João Meneses, Secretary General of BCSD Portugal, who was present at the launch event, said: “We have entered the last decade for action. Braga’s Corporate Mobility Pact is an example of leadership and acceleration for multimodal urban mobility, mostly shared or collective, inclusive, adaptable and, above all, sustainable within the business sector of Braga.” 

Hélder Costa, Executive Secretary for Sustainable Development at the Municipality of Braga, added: “Despite the technological advance toward cleaner energy, the transformation to a carbon-neutral city will only happen with the collaboration of all, where companies will play a relevant role. The Corporate Mobility Pact for the city of Braga is an opportunity for all organizations that want to be more sustainable and support the decarbonization of the city.” 

Uta Jungermann, Senior Manager, Member Support & Global Network at WBCSD, said: “After the initial success in Lisbon, we are thrilled to see our Global Network partner BCSD Portugal establish a new Corporate Mobility Pact in Braga. We hope that the Pact’s ambitious business actions and commitments will inspire other cities to follow this path toward clean, safe and efficient mobility for all, in Portugal and around the world.”