C40 Partners with Global Electric Vehicle Giant BYD

Partnership furthers strategic aims of growth in China and urban transportation action around the world

London, UK - Today, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) announced that it has brought on global electric vehicle leader BYD as a funding partner for the third edition of the C40 Awards, which showcases world-leading city policies and programmes that reduce emissions and improve sustainability. Launched in 2013, the Awards were created to recognize successes, catalyze ambition, and share lessons amongst cities around the world. This year’s Awards event will take place December 3 in Paris during the COP21 climate negotiations.

“BYD could not be more excited to collaborate with C40 to promote the low-emission economy and enhance climate action,” said Sherry Li, marketing director of BYD overseas group. “C40 and BYD have the same goal which is to make the cities greener, more environmentally friendly and more intelligent.”

“The C40 Cities Awards have become a gold standard for recognizing climate action leadership in cities; and we welcome BYD as a partner in this year’s event,” said Kevin Austin, Deputy Executive Director of C40. “Each year, the finalist and winning projects inspire other cities to implement solutions faster and more efficiently, collectively making a global impact in tackling climate change and driving sustainable urban development."

The C40-BYD partnership is a component of C40’s strategic aim to enhance climate action in Chinese cities, while also cultivating clean transportation systems in cities throughout the world. Earlier this week at the U.S.-China Climate Leaders Summit in Los Angeles, C40 announced the cities of Guangzhou and Nanjing have joined its global network, bringing the total membership of Chinese megacities to seven. In March 2015, cities in the Low Emission Vehicles Network collectively forged an international Declaration on Clean Buses, demonstrating a commitment to incorporating low- and zero-emission buses in their fleets. With this call to global manufacturers, public transport operators, leasing companies, multilateral development banks, and other funding agencies, cities hope to eliminate some of the barriers to their ambitions to decarbonize urban mass transport.

BYD responded to the Declaration by agreeing to design and build the world’s first pure electric zero emission double decker bus for the City of London.

“Since BYD is by far the world’s largest maker of zero emission pure electric buses and as such is keen to promote their take up and use as quickly as possible, we are also pleased to have today supported the Declaration and pledged BYD to helping promote zero – not just ultra low – emission vehicles on the streets of the world’s major cities,” said Isbrand Ho, Managing Director of BYD Europe, at the Clean Bus Summit in London earlier this summer.

BYD is based in Shenzhen, China. With its world-leading Iron phosphate battery, BYD researches and manufacturers various kinds of new energy vehicles including electric buses, electric trucks, electric forklifts, hybrid plug-in SUVs as well as sedans to meet marketing demands. Since June this year, BYD has become the global leader in the new energy vehicle field. BYD has sold just over 5,000 electric buses globally in more than 36 countries including UK, USA and the Netherlands. Factors like battery innovation, increasing fuel costs, and policy incentives – including large-scale pilot programs in C40 cities Shanghai and Shenzhen – have all contributed to helping Chinese cities become global leaders in electric vehicles.

Shenzhen won the 2014 City Climate Leadership Award in the Urban Transportation category for its innovative New Energy Vehicles Promotion campaign. The program consists of efforts to mobilize public and private stakeholders to encourage public support of electrified public transportation and, eventually, private cars, with a long-term goal of reaching zero emissions. The project has already registered measureable success in both carbon emissions reductions and health benefits – from 2009 to 2013, Shenzhen cut CO2 emissions by 160,000 tonnes, leading the city to be ranked in the top 10 for best air quality according to China’s Environment Agency.

About the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, now in its 10th year, connects more than 75 of the world’s greatest cities, representing 550+ million people and one quarter of the global economy. Created and led by cities, C40 is focused on tackling climate change and driving urban action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, while increasing the health, wellbeing and economic opportunities of urban citizens. The current chair of the C40 is Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes; three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the Board. To learn more about the work of C40 and our cities, please visit www.c40.org, follow us on Twitter @c40cities and like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/C40Cities.

About BYD

BYD Company Ltd. is one of China’s largest companies to have successfully expanded globally. Specializing in battery technologies, their green mission to “solve the whole problem” has made them industry pioneers and leade rs in several High-tech sectors including High-efficiency Automobiles, Electrified Public Transportation, Environmentally-Friendly Energy Storage, Affordable Solar Power and Information Technology and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) services.

As the world’s largest manufacturer of rechargeable batteries, their mission to create safer and more environmentally friendly battery technologies has led to the development of the BYD Iron Phosphate (or "Fe") Battery. This fire-safe, completely recyclable and incredibly long-cycle technology has become the core of their clean energy platform that has expanded into automobiles, buses, trucks, utility vehicles and energy storage facilities. BYD and all of their shareholders, including the great American Investor Warren Buffett, see these environmentally and economically forward products as the way of the future.

BYD has made a strong entrance to the North, Central and South American markets with their battery electric buses, and lineup of automobiles. Their mission lies not just in sales growth, but also in sociological integration and local job creation as they have poured incredible investments into developing offices, dealerships and manufacturing facilities in the local communities they now call home, truly a first for Chinese companies. For more information, please visit  www.byd.com or www.facebook.com/bydcompany.