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Why cities hold the key to a successful energy transition
UTOPIAN THINKING IN AN AGE OF DYSTOPIAN HEADLINES
Since Metropolis, Fritz Lang's 1927 tour de force, cities of the future depicted by the film industry tend to be places few of us would choose to live. Onscreen dystopian visions may seem not too far away as cities use growing amounts of energy, pump out copious amounts of pollution and leave residents little choice but to breathe dangerously poor air.
But there is an alternative, more utopian scenario that seems increasingly possible as cities the world over position themselves as energy transition leaders.
We examine leading initiatives in FORESIGHT 09
Highlights include:
- BUILDINGS: Beijing, China's capital, and New York, US are leading efforts to reduce energy leaks and pollution from buildings
- CARBON NEUTRAL: Interview with Frank Jensen, mayor of Copenhagen, on why mayors have a duty to respond to climate change
- FINANCE: How cities are getting creative on climate financing to fund their clean energy transition needs
- JUST TRANSITION: Taking an inclusive approach to the urban switch to renewables
- TRANSPORT: Why upfront costs and concerns about technology are slowing the switch from diesel to electric buses
...
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Energy Cities, a European association of local authorities, estimates a city will need between €1 billion and €3 billion to reach net zero emissions by 2050
Cooperation and social justice are at the heart of plans by the historic university city of Leuven, Belgium to become carbon neutral, as is the radical idea of giving owners no choice but to energy-renovate their homes
Sixty-two per cent of people living in Copenhagen cycle to work or school, pedalling 1.44 million kilometres every day. The city has invested more than €40 per head in bike infrastructure
City achieves global first with aggressive retroactive climate rules for building stock
The deep retrofit of the Empire State Building showcases efficient use of energy, but more will be needed
A goal to become the first carbon neutral capital city as early as 2025 is at least partly dependent on Denmark’s new national government throwing its weight behind Copenhagen’s aspirations
In an interview with FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Frank Jensen, mayor of Copenhagen, explains why mayors and local authorities are uniquely positioned to lead the energy transition and implement measures to proof their cities against extreme weather
Even if many cities are finding it a challenge to meet decarbonisation targets, they have made progress over the last decade and are becoming increasingly ambitious
Inspiring architects to make buildings green and good looking
The economic argument for switching from diesel to electric is gaining strength
Despite the massive amount of solar power output in Europe this summer and the technology’s falling prices, building owners are still reluctant to put panels on their roofs. Tübingen, Germany is introducing legislation to force change
