Delegates Naufal Isnaeni and Hariyadi Sukamto of the municipalities of Bogor and Balikpapan (Indonesia) visited Poland from 15 – 22 November 2015 as part of the Urban LEDS project to learn from Warsaw’s experience in low emission strategies. Of Warsaw’s extensive bus fleet, the delegates heard that 18 operate on liquefied natural gas, 10 are electric and a further 15 are fitted with photovoltaic panels. The carbon-neutral electric buses were found to be just as durable as diesel buses while being more fuel efficient and less noisy, representing a preferable option for replication in the delegates’ home cities.

Warsaw’s dedicated department for public bicycle hire ensures that the scheme is efficiently and effectively managed. Since its introduction in 2012, citizens have carried out over 6 million bicycle trips. With some adaptation to the Indonesian context, the public bicycle scheme was deemed to be replicable in Bogor. A visit to the automotive industry PIMOT revealed the city’s carbon-efficient biodiesel and electric vehicle technology. The Indonesian cities found that used cooking oil had potential as fuel, but the intervention of local government was necessary to ensure a stable supply.

Since the delegates returned to Indonesia with their findings, Warsaw has made a further exciting step in low carbon development. On December 10, 2015 the “Low-carbon Economy Action Plan for Warsaw” was approved by Warsaw City Council. It builds on the prior “Warsaw Sustainable Energy Action Plan”, and prioritises CO2 emission reduction, renewable energy, energy efficiency and expands the city’s air quality improvement activities.

For more information, visit Urban LEDS.