The French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) has granted a special recognition award to the “Energy, Innovation and Performance in Urban Lighting” project being implemented by the leftist government of Mexico City. “The product of an exemplary public-private partnership, this project provides for the complete and sustainable management of public lighting on the main thoroughfares and in the historic center of Mexico City,” ADEME president François Loos told Tierramérica.

Since 2010, the city government has been replacing 250-watt streetlights with energy-saving lighting systems to provide nighttime illumination throughout almost the entire city of eight million inhabitants.

The government of Marcelo Ebrard, who will be replaced on Dec. 6 by Miguel Mancera, has executed the project in conjunction with the French company Citelum.