José Luis Martínez-Almeida
Biography
Madrid, the Spanish capital, is one of the largest cities in the European Union as well as one of the EU most important centres, wielding significant influence in a variety of fields. Since 2019, the city has been led by mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida. The Madrid-born politician has successfully tackled many important issues during his term and continues to improve the quality of life in the city. Among his main priorities are the topics of mobility, climate protection, sustainable development, and the recovery of the tourism and culture sectors.
José Luis Martinez-Almeida was born in 1975. He earned a law degree from the Pontifical University of Comillas and later worked for the Supreme Crown Defense Corps as a State lawyer. Under the presidency of Esperanza Aguirre, he was appointed Secretary of the Council of Government of the Community of Madrid in 2011. Ever since he took the position of mayor, Almeida has been working very hard to overcome all the challenges that residents of Madrid face.
At the beginning of 2022, mayor of Madrid decided to cut the annual spending on travelling of the city officials, in an effort to contribute to climate protection. This demonstrated mayor Almeida’s strong will and determination to deal with the most urgent global issue by implementing local measures. This was just one of the many brave ambitious initiatives carried out by mayor Almeida in the domain of environmental protection. The Madrid 360 Environmental Sustainability Strategy focuses on the improvement of air quality around the city and was crafted through the joint effort of the City Council and Mayor of Madrid José Luis Martínez-Almeida.
Mayor of Madrid also announced in January 2022 that the City Council would invest a historic €1 billion by 2025 for EMT, Madrid’s public transport company. The investment's goal was to further support the technological and sustainable revolution that will lead the world to climate neutrality, with approximately half of the funds intended for a sustainable and efficient bus fleet. Numerous other infrastructural projects that are being carried out in the Spanish capital also have a strong emphasis on sustainability and environmental protection.
Mayor Martínez-Almeida also aims to transform the city’s public transportation system into a fully electric one before 2027. By supporting and encouraging green practices, mayor of Madrid is making his hometown one of the European frontrunners in the fight against global warming and climate change. (photo credit: wikimedia)
