We, the T&E secretariat and its Board, are still shocked at the sudden loss of Mariano. We are very sad, angry – it’s very painful to lose a friend and teammate, especially so abruptly.

Beyond Mariano’s total commitment to cleaner, safer mobility, he was an extraordinary man, full of energy and creative ideas, always eager to give a helping hand whenever it was needed.

Mariano started to actively contribute to T&E’s work when he coordinated the air quality campaign for our Spanish member Ecologistas en Acción more than seven years ago. His involvement intensified when he later became responsible for Ecologistas’ transport work. He was instrumental in campaigning against food-based biofuels, in pushing the Madrid city council to clean up the air, in denouncing carmakers’ cheating and the poisonous fumes coming out of diesel cars.

His passion for alternative mobility – more walking and cycling, more public transport, shifting the paradigm of car dominance – had an invaluable and long-lasting influence in T&E’s work and strategic thinking. You can read his latest thoughts on this in a blog published by El País.

Mariano was so committed to the cause for a different mobility that he volunteered to become our Board member in March 2017. He brought out-of-the-box ideas and some laughter too. He leaves behind a vacuum impossible to fill.

We miss you already Mariano. We won’t stop walking the road of change we joined seven years ago.