➤Group’s ‘A-list’ shows Boston, London and Sydney in the lead
➤Reykjavik says it already is running 100% on renewables
The U.K.'s Roadmap to Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050
Cities, which are home to more than half the world’s population, are stepping up efforts to slash pollution, often wresting the fight against climate change away from national governments.
Pushing Green Ambition
Cities across the globe that are front-loading aggressive climate change goals
Note: Includes only cities with target of 50% or more cut in emissions from their respective baseline year
Sources: CDP Climate A List, Bloomberg
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“Cities are doing a lot of the work, but they can’t get there alone,” said Kyra Appleby, global director of cities, states and regions at CDP. “Businesses need to act, national governments need to act as well, people need to change their own behavior in order for us to limit carbon emissions.”
Source: CDP |
Paris gets 35% of its energy from clean sources, and San Francisco gets almost 60% of its power from renewables, CDP said.
Almost 7% of the 625 cities that took part in the report were given the highest rating -- joining the CDP “A-list.” Among the top scoring, only 28 have set goals for carbon neutrality (balancing emissions of greenhouse gases), climate neutrality (designing wider policies to reduce the overall impact of human activity to the environment) or cutting emissions by half or more.
More than 20 U.S. cities got the highest rating showing how mayors and city level lawmakers can take the initiative on climate change in spite of a president who has repeatedly played down the effects of global warming.
Since the 2015 Paris Agreement that committed the world to slowing down global warming, the narrative has shifted from a problem that the world faces in the future to an issue that exists today. That was sped up by a 2018 United Nations report that spelled out the need for rapid action to grapple with a warming planet -- and what would happen to ecosystems if temperatures increased another half degree Celsius.
Cities have formed alliances to share knowledge and push for change -- like the C40 initiative that has 94 cities committed to implementing ambitious climate goals. Protests over the global warming have become more urgent with activists calling for climate emergencies to be declared.
CDP gives an “A” rating to any city that reports publicly on its climate adaptation and action plans as well as reporting on emissions inventories and reduction targets. The worst performing cities are handed a “D” although CDP doesn’t make those public.
“Cities are real hot spots of innovation, business and human life on earth so it’s crucial that cities are acting in order for us to meet the targets,” Appleby said.
Links
- Taking Up The Slack: When Governments Don’t Act On Climate Change
- How 300 Years Of Urbanization And Farming Transformed The Planet
- Four Ways Our Cities Can Cut Transport Emissions In A Hurry: Avoid, Shift, Share And Improve
- More Than 100 Cities Now Mostly Powered By Renewable Energy, Data Shows
- This Is How Climate Change Will Shift The World’s Cities
- How To Fix Climate Change: Put Cities, Not Countries, In Charge
- These Six Utopian Cities Of The Future Will Help You Re-Imagine Life On Earth
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