With the fight against climate change at its core, many European (and beyond!) cities are geared towards embracing green spaces, sustainability and renewable energy. These strides towards green-focused cities aren’t without urgency: the Paris Agreement, for example, aims to strengthen the worldwide response to climate change by keeping the rise in global temperatures below two degrees Celcius this century.
“City leadership in using green materials and constructing energy-efficient, resilient buildings powered by renewable energy, is essential to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, earlier this year. According to the United Nations, cities are responsible for about 75 per cent of the world’s energy consumption and over 70 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. As you can see, “going green” isn’t just something appealing that cities should consider, but a serious step that all cities should take in the fight against climate change.
What is a green city?
A sustainable and eco-city, often simply called a “green city” considers its social, economic and environmental aspect. It is designed with these aspects in mind, which allows it to be resilient to existing and expanding populations, but does not compromise on its future-focused existence for the generations to come.
Why a green city?
In a world of greenwashing, it’s important to understand why a green city is good to have around. Firstly, as testified by ongoing research, a green city contributes to improving the environment. It also ensures rich biodiversity, reduces air pollution, cools warm periods, dampens noise, and guarantees water storage. Additionally, a recent academic study suggests that green cities contribute to citizen happiness by promoting physical and mental health.
The top green cities in the world
A quick search for the top green cities in the world will show you the following rankings:
1. Copenhagen (with a population of 1.4 million people)
2. Stockholm (1.6 million people)
3. Berlin (3.7 million people)
4. Vancouver (660,000 people)
5. Amsterdam (910,000 people)
Let’s take a brief overview of the top three cities listed here and some of their green, sustainable and renewable energy actions.
1. Come on over, it’s green in Copenhagen
The Culture Trip writes that “Copenhagen has won so many awards for eco-credentials over the years that it has become almost boring”. Copenhagen, with its vast cycling infrastructures, swim-safe harbours, and clean city centres, is as green as they come. Following the transformation of its multi-purpose urban mountain from a waste-to-energy plant into a place for skiing, snowboarding, running and hiking, the city was deemed by TimeOut as the most sustainable in the world.