EMTU VLT in operation
As global concern about climate change intensifies, São Paulo Metropolitan Transport stands out in adopting sustainable practices to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the metropolitan region (RMSP), the largest in terms of population density in Latin America.
Through the Metropolitan Transport Secretariat (STM), 8.5 million passengers are transported daily by the city’s buses EMTUtrains Subway it’s yes CPTM and via the Campos do Jordão Railway, in the interior of the State.
With the support of companies linked to the STM, the sector has undergone a notable transformation, focusing efforts on initiatives eco-friendly that aim to make the system more sustainable. The commitment is to lead the way towards greener and more efficient urban mobility, with clear examples of incorporating electric vehicles into the public transport fleet, significantly reducing the carbon footprint and promoting the adoption of clean technologies.
SP Metro: lower CO2 emissions, greater energy efficiency
Sustainability is the guiding principle of metro network expansion projects. The mode uses clean energy and brings social and environmental benefits. In the last year alone, the operation of the São Paulo Metro – linked to the STM – prevented the emission of 648 thousand tons of CO2 into the atmosphere and generated social gains of R$12.99 billion. In addition to having promoted a reduction in carbon emissions by 3% in 2023 compared to the previous year (from 22 thousand to 21 thousand tCO2). And every year the indicators have improved.
Among the actions implemented, the energy efficiency initiatives and reduction of train traction consumption stand out, which resulted in a drop in energy used. Even with the 7% increase in passenger demand from 2022 to 2023, there was a reduction in energy consumption for operation, indicating gains in energy efficiency. Traction energy consumption per car/kilometer fell by more than 20% between 2015 and 2023: it ranged from 3.41 kWh/car.km to 2.72 kWh/car.km in 2023.
It is no surprise that Metrô has been on the list of the 100 most influential companies in urban mobility since last month, due to its ESG (environmental, social and governance) agenda. The recognition is based on a study developed by the Urban Mobility Park, of the Connected Smart Cities Platform, in partnership with Mobilidade Estadão.
It is also worth highlighting the tests carried out with wind turbines in the Line 2-Green tunnels, in partnership with the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA), with the aim of finding sustainable solutions that can be scaled up in the system. During the tests, 2kW/day was generated with the displacement of air by the movement of trains – which is enough to illuminate tunnels or a medium-sized station, for example.
CPTM: investment in passengers and environmental commitments
CPTM defined as one of the strategic objectives of the business plan the promotion of sustainability aiming for environmental compliance, eco-efficiency and low carbon economy. To fulfill the commitment assumed, goals were set to implement the Energy Management System by 2025 and carry out studies aimed at reducing the impacts of climate change by the end of next year.
As part of ongoing actions, CPTM is working to enable the creation of a greenhouse gas inventory and was invited to participate in the 3rd edition of Hackathon Mackenzie 2024 as a partner company. The event will take place between April 22nd and 26th and aims to map, quantify and propose actions to reduce or mitigate sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the CPTM maintenance process, and the area chosen for this study was the Patio from Lapa.
Thinking about minimizing the environmental impact of rail transport in the construction of a renewable future and a sustainable economy, in 2023 alone more than 4 thousand tons of unusable materials were allocated to auctions and donations, promoting their reuse and recycling. CPTM also committed, through an agreement, to reducing the impacts of climate change by 2025, through an emissions inventory, energy efficiency and environmental licenses for all operated lines.
A recent example of this effort is that one of CPTM’s largest train maintenance complexes – Pátio Eng. São Paulo, which serves lines 11-Coral, 12-Safira and 13-Jade – will undergo improvement works and will feature the production of solar energy through photovoltaic panels, with an energy injection capacity of 566.7 MWh/year into the electrical grid. Furthermore, through a green infrastructure program, the company registers and manages trees, manages vegetation and works on forest restoration, including demarcation of parent species, collection of seeds, planting of more than 145 thousand native tree seedlings and eradication of invasive species.
EMTU: Less polluting technologies in tire transport
Present in 134 municipalities in the State, with more than 900 bus lines, EMTU has adopted less polluting technologies with the implementation of 96 trolleybuses in the metropolitan transport system under its management in ABC since its inception. In the region, the construction of the BRT-ABC is also planned, an exclusive corridor that will operate 92 buses with clean technology, fully electric and non-polluting, connecting ABC to the capital and the metropolitan train system, Corredor Metropolitano ABD and Expresso Tiradentes. Furthermore, through an agreement signed with USP, an operational project for buses powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and a hydrogen production plant using water electrolysis, a technology free of pollutant emissions, is underway.
Another interesting project from a sustainability point of view is the Baixada Santista Light Rail Vehicle (VLT), the first electric VLT in Brazil, with zero pollutant emissions, which includes environmental compensation projects with ecological restoration and tree planting, aiming to contribute to the recovery of conservation units in the state and revitalization of the urban landscape of Santos, in the central median areas, squares and near boarding stations, in addition to the areas surrounding the modal intervention areas. It was with this vision of pioneering the use of clean technologies in the State’s bus systems that, five years ago, bus stops in the Metropolitan Region of Campinas, in the Biléo Soares Corridor, provided energy savings and reduced CO2 emissions. through solar energy with 20 photovoltaic panels.
Finally, EMTU does not leave aside the social aspect of the communities in which it operates. The company offers passengers around 300 social, cultural, educational and health activities annually. Through partnerships, it carries out programs such as Arte nos Terminais, Giralivro (to encourage reading) which has already donated more than 25 thousand books, health promotion campaigns, collection of recyclables at the company’s terminals and units and awareness campaigns.
Secretariat of Metropolitan Transport
STM handles the transport of 8.5 million passengers daily, on average on a working day. These are passengers who use buses managed by EMTU, in addition to Metro, CPTM trains and lines 4-Yellow, 5-Lilac, 8-Diamante and 9-Esmeralda, the latter four being granted to the private sector. The Campos do Jordão Railway, in the interior of the State, is also the responsibility of STM.