Cuenca Just Became One of Only Three Cities in Ecuador with a Climate Action Plan

A Decade-Long Environmental Roadmap

Cuenca officially joined Quito and Loja as the only three cities in Ecuador with a comprehensive Climate Action Plan.

The Plan de Acción Climática (PAC-Cuenca 2025–2035) was presented on February 19 by Mayor Cristian Zamora and the municipal Environmental Management Commission. It's the product of a full year of development with support from German Technical Cooperation (GIZ) and input from 43 public and private institutions.

This isn't a vague set of promises. It's a structured, technical document with specific measures, monitoring mechanisms, and timelines.

What the Plan Covers

The plan has two strategic pillars:

Mitigation (Reducing Emissions)

• Transport: Cuenca plans to roll out its first electric bus fleet in 2026. If you've ridden the existing diesel buses, you know why this matters.
• Energy: Renewable energy projects, including initiatives connected to the Botanical Gardens and ETAPA EP (the municipal utility company) energy self-sustainability programs
• Waste: Expanded recycling programs and waste management improvements

Adaptation (Preparing for Climate Impacts)

• Water protection as the top priority — Cuenca's water comes from the Cajas highlands, and protecting those sources is central to the plan
• Human settlements — building resilience in neighborhoods vulnerable to flooding and landslides (relevant given the intense 2026 rainy season)
• Natural heritage — protecting the ecosystems that make this region unique

16 Specific Measures

The plan identifies 16 mitigation and adaptation measures, prioritized by:

• Technical criteria
• Territorial impact
• Financial viability

Each measure comes with monitoring mechanisms to track progress. This is the part that separates a real plan from a press conference — they've built in accountability.

The Bloomberg Connection

Separately, Cuenca has been selected by Bloomberg Philanthropies for two global initiatives:

1. Youth Climate Action Fund — $150,000 allocated to finance 29 youth-led climate projects in Cuenca
2. Mayor's Bloomberg Challenge — Cuenca was among 50 finalist cities (out of 630+ applicants worldwide) for the Bloomberg Global Mayors Challenge, which focuses on innovative urban solutions

The Bloomberg funding is significant not just for the dollar amount but for what it signals: an international foundation with global reach is looking at Cuenca as a city worth investing in.

Who Built This

The plan was developed with:

• GIZ (German Technical Cooperation) funding and technical support
• 43 institutions participating through sectoral working groups
• Analysis of cantonal risks, greenhouse gas emission sources, and vulnerable sectors
• Carlos Orellana, director of the Environmental Management Commission, led the mitigation strategy development
• Thomas Klette, Honorary German Consul and GIZ representative, described the plan as connecting Cuenca's development vision with national and international climate commitments

What This Means for Expats

You might be wondering: does a climate action plan actually affect my daily life?

Eventually, yes:

• Electric buses mean quieter, cleaner public transit — something anyone who walks along Avenida de las Américas will appreciate
• Water source protection is existential for a city that depends on Cajas watershed. Cuenca's water quality is one of its biggest selling points for quality of life.
• Flood and landslide resilience directly affects neighborhoods that have experienced problems this rainy season
• Recycling and waste management improvements address a visible quality-of-life issue in many neighborhoods

More broadly, it signals that the city government is thinking long-term about what makes Cuenca livable. That's the kind of governance that makes a city attractive — not just for the next tourist season, but for the next decade.

The Bigger Picture

Cuenca being only the third Ecuadorian city with a climate plan says something about both its ambition and its institutional capacity. Building a plan like this requires data, coordination across dozens of institutions, international partnerships, and political will.

Whether the plan delivers on its promises over 10 years remains to be seen. But having a plan — with specific measures, monitoring, and international backing — puts Cuenca in a fundamentally different position than cities that are still talking about maybe doing something eventually.

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Sources: El Mercurio, GAD Municipal de Cuenca, Metro Ecuador