Stockholm pursues climate holy grail: A fossil-fuel-free future — Part 2: Stubborn emissions

By John J. Berger, PhD, an energy and environmental policy specialist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, who is currently working on a new book on resolving the climate crisis. — STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—Stockholm is aligned with the Swedish government in its belief that climate change is one of the world’s greatest challenges. Sweden’s parliament, prompted 

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Stockholm pursues climate holy grail: A fossil-fuel-free future — Part 1: Ambitious goals

By John J. Berger, PhD, an energy and environmental policy specialist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, who is currently working on a new book on resolving the climate crisis. — It’s been 20 years since Stockholm became the world’s first city to create a formal climate action plan. Back then, the city was producing 

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Copenhagen’s Four-Fold Path to Carbon Neutrality: An ambitious plan to cut carbon emissions and create a sustainable future

By John J. Berger, PhD, an energy and environmental policy specialist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, who is currently working on a new book on resolving the climate crisis. — Copenhagen, Denmark—How does a major European capital wean itself from fossil fuels and reinvent itself as a sustainable city? Having already cut its CO2 

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Local leaders come together in Seoul to build global coalitions

Hosted by the city of Seoul, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the Seoul Mayors Forum on Climate Change 2017 shows how global coalitions and networks are supporting local climate action. The Forum hosted key discussions on the importance of city to city cooperation, citizen 

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How to build urban climate resilience: A simple methodology for local governments

By Rahul Singh, Senior Project Officer – Sustainability at ICLEI South Asia and Bedoshruti Sadhukhan, Programme Coordinator – Sustainability at ICLEI South Asia It is projected that two-thirds of the global population will live in cities by 2050. According to the Global Commission on Economy and Climate, urban centers in India will house over 600 million people. Due 

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Copenhagen, striving to be carbon neutral: The economic payoffs

By John J. Berger, PhD, an energy and environmental policy specialist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, who is currently working on a new book on resolving the climate crisis. — Copenhagen, Denmark—By focusing on reducing carbon emissions and becoming more sustainable, can cities enhance their citizens’ health, well-being, and comfort, while improving their 

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How district energy solutions are changing cities

An increasing number of cities across the world are getting on board and reaping the benefits of district energy. According to the report District Energy in Cities published by UN Environment in partnership with ICLEI, UN-Habitat and the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency, cities around the world are adopting district energy systems. So why is 

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Mayor Anna Tenje takes Växjö, Sweden forward in championing renewable energy

A Member of ICLEI and the Global 100% Renewable Energy Cities & Regions Network, Växjö, Sweden is leading the way in urban renewable energy strategies, and is on track to become a fossil fuel-free city by 2030. We got in touch with the mayor to find out more about the key to success in the 

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How cities are using nature for sustainable urban development

Nature-based solutions can address urban challenges exacerbated by growing urban populations and the impacts of climate change. They are multi-functional, cost-effective and provide a wide range of benefits, from improving public health to reducing energy costs and pollution to regenerating urban spaces. Local governments can use green roofs and green infrastructure to help cities become 

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How Sponge Cities in China manage urban water challenges

Cities in China face significant water-related challenges, including flood, reduced water quality and severe water scarcity – exacerbated by rapid urbanization and more frequent extreme weather events.  Nearly half of cities in China do not meet national flood prevention standards and over half are considered water scarce. To address these challenges, China is implementing the 

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