Our Cities

Adelaide and the South Australian community are taking significant action to tackle climate change. Carbon Neutral Adelaide is our community’s shared ambition to work together and make the City of Adelaide one of the world’s first carbon neutral cities. The City of Adelaide adopted its Carbon Neutral Strategy 2015-2025, which includes targets for the City of Adelaide community to have zero net carbon emissions by 2025 and for City of Adelaide organisation to have zero net carbon emissions from its operations by 2020. This was followed by the Carbon Neutral Adelaide Action Plan 2016-2021 which outlines a way forward for mobilising efforts to achieve carbon neutrality for the City of Adelaide.

The City of Adelaide supports mitigation activities to reduce Council Administration and community GHG emissions through initiatives such as energy efficiency and the uptake of renewable energy technologies in our own facilities as well as providing our community with financial incentives for the uptake of sustainable energy and water technologies through the City of Adelaide’s Sustainability Incentives Scheme. We have also supported our most vulnerable members of the community by providing flexible finance arrangements for solar PV energy systems through a separate rate mechanism.

We partner with other councils in our region on climate change adaptation to reduce risk exposure and enhance the city’s resilience to a changing climate. Our achievements build upon our international reputation as a green, liveable, smart and creative city. By playing our part to address this global challenge we are maximising the economic, social and environmental opportunities of technological and behaviour change.

Amsterdam is taking action now to ensure the city remains a healthy and inclusive one for everyone into and beyond 2050. The city’s Climate Neutral Programme focuses on reducing CO2 released within the city of Amsterdam as a result of energy use. If Amsterdam is to become a carbon-neutral city, an energy transition is needed: a structural transformation of the energy system away from fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal. Amsterdam’s emissions reduction ambitions includes making local traffic emission-free by 2030, and for the city to be natural gas-free by 2040, among other things. The city wants the energy transition to be a just transition, with the costs and benefits distributed fairly and for everyone to have equal access to the decision-making process. It’s working closely with leaders and citizens in the energy transition, removing obstacles, and inspiring and encouraging others to take action and build networks.

The 2019 Climate Action Plan Update is Boston’s roadmap to reach citywide carbon neutrality goals. The plan includes action steps to achieve zero net energy and zero net carbon buildings through deep energy retrofits and electrification, emphasizing equity and stakeholder engagement.

In December 2016, Boulder City Council formally adopted goals to guide Boulder’s climate action efforts, including reducing community-wide greenhouse gas emissions 80% from 2005 levels by 2050; reducing emissions from city operations 80% below 2008 levels by 2030; and achieving 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2030. All part of the city’s Climate Commitment document, the adopted goals also include progress indicators and targets for local renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, electric vehicle adoption and waste and water reductions for key milestone years.

In 2018, Boulder will continue to implement and improve core climate and energy programs including its Building Performance Ordinance for efficiency in commercial and industrial buildings, updating energy codes, SmartRegsrental housing efficiency requirements, one-on-one business and residential advising and reducing landfill emissions through the implementation of the Universal Zero Waste Ordinance.

The development of a Climate Action Plan will provide an actionable roadmap for the next five years in the areas of energy, resources and ecosystems. In 2018, staff is focused on implementation innovative strategies related to local solar development and electric vehicle adoption, as well as exploring alternative and additional pricing mechanisms and revenue sources for future climate work. Pilot projects are underway to increase resilient energy infrastructure and support the conversion of residential natural gas-based appliances to renewable-ready electric appliances, in addition to innovative community projects to reduce emissions through the Boulder Energy Challenge.

In Nov. 2017, Boulder voters passed measure 2L to continue funding the city’s municipalization efforts. The city will continue to work towards forming its own locally owned utility, which is the primary strategy for achieving a 100% renewable electricity supply.

Boulder will maintain its engagement of the community on the topic of climate action, including its partnership on the Boulder.Earth climate action website and work with community groups, like local faith communities, in addition to engagement related to municipalization.

Copenhagen has major climate ambitions, and aims to be the first carbon neutral capital in 2025. The population of Copenhagen is expected to grow by 20 % in the next decade, and Copenhagen want to show that it is possible to combine growth, development and increased quality of life with the reduction of CO2 emissions. To pursue that goal the City Council adopted the ambitious CPH 2025 climate Plan in 2012. The CPH Climate Plan 2025 is based on four pillars:

• Energy Consumption
• Energy Production
• Mobility
• City Administration Initiatives.

Energy consumption will only account for 7 pct. of the total CO2 reduction, but from an overall economic perspective, energy savings are the cheapest way to cut emissions. Partnerships with private building owners and businesses are key to reach saving goals. The production of electricity and heat for Copenhageners is currently the biggest source of CO2 emissions and it is absolutely critical that coal, oil and natural gas are replaced by renewable energy. Efforts in this pillar will account for 80 pct. of the total reduction in 2025, and we are well underway: a new biomass fueled combined heat and power plant will open in 2019 and several more wind turbines are under way. Getting around Copenhagen should be easy, healthy and efficient. Most of the CO2 emissions from transport come from road traffic, and this makes restructuring of road transport a necessary component to cut emissions. In 2025 at least 75 pct. of all trips must be done by foot, by bike or by public transport. One large challenge is to make a much faster change to vehicles driven by electricity, hydrogen and biogas. The work put in by the city administration may only represent 5 pct. of the total CO2 reduction but it has huge significance as a source of inspiration for others. Leading the way in cutting energy use and running vehicles powered by alternative fuels enhances the City of Copenhagen’s credibility.

Glasgow is undertaking widespread transformation to both adapt to and mitigate against climate change. Recently, Glasgow City Council declared a climate and ecological emergency and formed a working group that produced 61 recommendations on how the city could respond to the emergency. The city has committed to becoming a Net Zero Carbon City by 2030.

The objective of the Helsinki City is to make Helsinki carbon-neutral by 2030. This goal will be achieved by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions in Helsinki by 80 per cent. The remaining 20 per cent will be compensated for by Helsinki taking care of implementing emissions reductions outside the city.

To meet the carbon-neutrality objective for 2030, the use of fossil fuels needs to be reduced in Helen’s heating production. Helen Ltd’s objective is to stop using coal entirely in the 2030s, at the latest. The City organisation itself only produces under 10 per cent of the emissions within the City borders, which means that a carbon-neutral Helsinki can only be reached with close cooperation between the City organisation and residents.

Melbourne is Victoria’s capital city and the business, administrative, cultural and recreational hub of the state. The entire Greater Melbourne area covers 9992.5 km2 and has a population of around 4.5 million. The City of Melbourne municipality covers 37.7 km2 and has a residential population of over 148,000 (as of 2016). It is made up of the city centre and a number of inner suburbs, each with its own distinctive character and with different businesses, dwellings and communities living and working there.

City of Melbourne became a certified carbon neutral organisation for the first time in 2011-12. We are trialing technologies and improving the environmental performance of our properties. We set the municipal target of zero net emissions by 2020. We are working closely with Victorian, Australian and local governments, businesses, partners and the people of Melbourne to achieve this. We are supporting the city’s residents, business owners, building owners, workers and visitors by ensuring they have the information needed to reduce emissions. Our innovative 1200 Buildings, Smart Blocks, City Switch and Solar Programs provide information, solutions and address barriers to reducing emissions.

Minneapolis is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and has adopted targets to reduce community-wide emissions 15% by 2015, 30% by 2025 and 80% by 2050 using 2006 as a baseline. In 2015, Minneapolis greenhouse gas emissions from citywide activities decreased 17.5% exceeding the established reduction goal. Looking towards the future, the City continues to use existing progressive carbon emissions reduction strategies and is mapping a more sustainable future in the Minneapolis 2040 comprehensive planning process.

• Minneapolis is a leader in building energy efficiency: in 2013 the City adopted the Commercial Benchmarking Ordinance, allowing building owners and the city to track energy and water usage to determine opportunities for improvement.
• Minneapolis is focused on increasing the use of local renewable energy and shrinking the waste stream by encouraging reuse and increasing recycling of both organic and inorganic materials. In 2017, the Zero Waste Plan was adopted and will help the city reach its zero waste goal to recycle and compost 50% of its overall waste stream by 2020, 80% by 2030, and achieve a zero-percent growth rate in the total waste stream from 2010 levels.
• The City is working to reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled in Minneapolis while improving accessibility and building walkable, safe and growing neighborhoods that meet the needs of all residents. Check out Minneapolis’s ten year transportation plan Access Minneapolis.
• Focusing on equity and environmental justice, the City has established two Green Zones ; these two areas serve as a place-based policy initiative aimed at improving health and supporting economic development using environmentally conscious efforts in communities that face the cumulative effects of environmental pollution, as well as social, political and economic vulnerability.

Minneapolis is also a part of a first-in- the-nation partnership that brings together the City of Minneapolis, Xcel and CenterPoint Energy in support of the City’s Climate Action Plan and 2040 Energy Vision . Together the Clean Energy Partnership continues to plan, implement and track new approaches to delivering energy efficiency, energy choices and renewable energy to Minneapolis residents and businesses.

New York City continues to lead the globe in the fight against climate change. In the last four years, NYC has committed to an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050 and was the first city to align itself with the 1.5C target of the Paris Agreement. Greenhouse gas emissions are down 15% since 2005 and we will take this further with mandatory retrofits to city buildings and expanding low-carbon transportation options. At the same time, NYC is investing over $20 billion to adapt our neighborhoods to climate change risks such as flooding, heat, and sea level rise. And we are taking the fight straight to the fossil fuel industry for their role in creating this climate crisis by divesting the City’s pension funds from fossil fuels and suing the five investor-owned fossil fuel companies most responsible for climate change.

The City of Oslo strives to be a leading agent in the transformation to a greener and more inclusive society. This requires major readjustments in both energy and transport use.

Greenhouse gas emissions in Oslo have increased by 25 percent since 1990. Reversing this trend and starting to curb emissions will be challenging. However, the analysis upon which this strategy was built, indicates that the targets are achievable, provided that we implement strong measures now.

The future state of Oslo is a climate-friendly city. To create a society without greenhouse gas emissions, we must convert from using fossil energy to using renewable energy. The Climate and Energy Strategy describes how we can achieve our climate targets, while developing and upgrading an urban community in which people and commerce thrive.

Strategic roadmap

The Climate and Energy Strategy aligns with the City of Oslo’s Municipal Master Plan “Oslo towards 2030: Smart, safe and green”. This master plan is the municipal government’s overarching strategy for future development in the city. The Climate and Energy Strategy is a roadmap outlining how the green shift should be implemented in order to achieve Oslo’s climate targets for 2020 and 2030. It was adopted by the City Council on 22 June 2016.

The strategy shows how we will take a clear stand in the transport sector, wherein pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users will be prioritised and where we aim to reduce car traffic by 20 percent by 2020 and by 33 percent by 2030. The Climate effort will be organized more clearly, and will be a cross-sectoral task for the City of Oslo.

The targets of the Climate and Energy Strategy for Oslo:

• To reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 36 percent by 2020 and;
• by 95 percent by 2030.

Greenhouse gas emissions in Oslo

Oslo has made significant progress in a number of areas:

• Greenhouse gas emissions per capita are falling, and the number of people traveling by public transport, cycle and on foot is rising – at the expense of car traffic.
• Oslo has the world’s highest proportion of electric cars and is a city defined by its proximity to green spaces, open areas and the Oslo fjord.
• We have a cycle-based waste management system where waste is converted to useful products and we have an expanding green commercial sector.

While we have much to be proud of, significant challenges lies ahead to achieve our near zero-emissions vision. To achieve the target of a 36 percent reduction by 2020 from 1990 levels, we will have to reduce CO 2 emissions with approximately 460,000 tonnes.

The use of fossil heating oil in buildings accounts for 17 percent of the emissions. The goal is to fully phase out these emissions by 2020.

61 percent of the emissions in Oslo derive from transport, of which around half are attributable to the transport of people, and half to goods transport and construction activities. The transport sectors will require the most determined efforts moving forward.

In order to reach the targets, a climate budget is in operation, to ensure implementation of measures necessary to fulfill Oslo’s climate goals.

Portland has addressed climate change for nearly 25 years and has steadily cut carbon emissions for more than a decade.

Since 2000, when local emissions peaked, Multnomah County’s emissions have consistently declined. Among other factors, these reductions are due to a combination of:

• Improved efficiency in buildings, appliances and vehicles.
• A shift to lower-carbon energy sources like wind, solar and biodiesel.
• More walking, biking and public transit.
• Reduced methane emissions from landfills and more composting and recycling.

In 2014, total carbon emissions in Multnomah County were 21 percent below 1990 levels. Portland continues to significantly outperform national emissions, which are up 7 percent over 1990 levels.

The joint City of Portland and Multnomah County 2015 Climate Action Plan builds on Portland’s legacy of climate action. The Climate Action Plan provides a roadmap for the community to achieve an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, with an interim goal of a 40 percent reduction by 2030.

The Climate Action Plan identifies over 170 actions to be completed or significantly underway by 2020. The City of Portland and Multnomah County have been working systematically to implement these actions since adoption. Nearly all of the actions in the 2015 Climate Action Plan are already underway, with 142 (or 83 percent) of those actions on track for completion by 2020.

The City of Rio de Janeiro is the largest coastal city and the second largest economic center of Brazil, estimated to have 6.5 million inhabitants in 2016. Rio is also the most important and reputed touristic destination in the country, hosting large national and international events and playing a remarkable role in national politics, economy, culture, and institutions. The visual identity of Rio de Janeiro is strongly associated to its natural landscape including bays and forest massifs. For the same reason, the city presents a high degree of temporal and spatial variation in meteorological elements. Reaching heights superior to 1,000m, the massifs are probably the most determinant element in rainfall patterns, as they shape the penetration of sea winds into the hinterland and act as a physical barrier to rain clouds. Always aware about the beauty and challenges the nature brings to the city, Rio de Janeiro was one of the first to carry out an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions at a municipal scale in 2000. Since then, three inventories have already been prepared, and the last one was verified according to the GPC protocol in 2015. Emission reduction targets were defined and consolidated in the Municipal Law of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, approved in January 2011, which establishes a 20% reduction of emissions from 2005 to 2020. Already planning what to do after this period, the City Hall has also signed a commitment to develop a strategy for reducing emissions from 2020, aiming for neutrality by 2050.

San Francisco is at the forefront of regional, state and national climate action, reducing emissions 28 percent below 1990 levels, while the population has grown 19 percent and the local economy 78 percent. At the heart of the nine-county Bay Area in Northern California, San Francisco is proving that aggressive climate goals are good for the economy, the health and well
being of our residents, and for the Earth.

Through collective action, San Francisco will reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. The City’s Climate Action Framework, 0-80- 100-Roots, is the vision for how we will meet this challenge:

0 – Zero waste to landfill

80 – 80% of trips made by sustainable modes (public transit, walking, biking)

100 – 100% renewable energy to electrify the built environment, including the movement of people and goods

Roots – Protecting urban green spaces and growing the urban forest to enhance biodiversity and sequester carbon

San Francisco recognizes that to achieve its vision of a safe, vibrant and inclusive city of shared prosperity we must continue accelerated and transformative action to address climate change.
This will require inclusive and equitable participation of community in climate and sustainability decisions, an investment in capacity building activities such as providing residents tools,
education, and job opportunities, and engagement of people throughout the city in programs, policies and initiatives to will ensure the city is prepared for the future.

In 2011, Seattle adopted the goal to become carbon neutral by 2050. We have made substantial progress toward this goal through investments in shifting our transportation away from single occupancy vehicles, such as walking, biking and transit, as well as vehicle electrification. Over the last decade, we have guided growth to transit-accessible urban villages, increased affordable housing, and supported leading building and energy codes.

As one of the fastest growing cities in America – Seattle add 57 new residents every day – the city must continue to explore bold actions to ensure we meet our climate goals and do our part under the Paris Climate Agreement. The focus of these actions is in our largest emissions sectors: buildings and road transportation.

The overall approach to carbon reductions in our buildings is to provide information, financial and other incentives, and technical assistance, while establishing strong standards for efficiency and emissions. To reduce transportation emissions, we are leveraging both technological advances and cultural shifts in how people move around our city to reduce trips and transition our cars, trucks, and buses to fossil fuel-free solutions. Seattle City Light is the first carbon neutral utility in the nation.

Our climate policies are created through a race and social justice lens, to ensure those who are most impacted by climate change and issues of affordability have the opportunity to benefit from solutions. Seattle’s Equity and Environment Agenda will guide us as we work with communities of color and lower income residents to create economic opportunities, mitigate cost burdens, and improve quality of life through climate action.

Tranquil nature close to the intensity of the city is the defining characteristic of Stockholm. Here smart solutions make it simple for all residents to lead eco-friendly lives. Without compromising the prospects of future generations, the city can grow and expand based on people’s needs and respect for the natural limits of our planet.

The vision of a climate-smart Stockholm forms the basis for the Strategy for a fossil-fuel free Stockholm 2040, a strategy that describes how the city needs to work to meet and manage the challenge of climate change, one of the most pressing issues of our time. The accelerating pace of climate change is jeopardising our future and that of our children. Stockholm can and must be a leader in efforts to reduce human impact on the global climate by making a successful transition from a society built on fossil fuels to one based on renewables. This essential shift also creates opportunities. Demands for renewable energy, improved energy efficiency and other green solutions are driving the development of a rapidly growing sector. This strategy provides us with the tools we need to become a fossil-fuel free city. It is the foundation on which a sustainable Stockholm will be built.

Fossil fuels currently account for approximately 30 percent of total energy use. This equates to emissions of 2.7 tonnes of CO2e per person (2015). The toughest challenge is that facing the transport sector; it is here that the need for action is most urgent. Electrification and a transport efficient city development are key areas. In 2040 residual fossil fuel is most likely to be found in the aviation and shipping industries. In the energy sector, too, fossil-based plastics are likely to continue to be present in waste that is incinerated in heating plants. To compensate for these residues, carbon sinks can be developed to reduce the city’s climate impact by absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide. In the shorter term the strategy proposes measures that are those over which the municipal authorities and companies have the greatest power to act. The measures correspond to a reduction of 533,000 tonnes of CO2e between 2013 and 2019 and include actions such as bioenergy heat-and- power plants, promoting biking and public transport in the traffic planning, incentives for electric cars and renewable energy production such as biogas and solar power.

By 2021, the City of Sydney will reduce emissions in its operations by 44 per cent from 2006 levels and move to 50 per cent renewable energy. And across the local government area, we have set targets for 50 per cent renewables by 2030, 70 per cent reduction in 2006 greenhouse gas emissions levels by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050.

TransformTO, Toronto’s new and ambitious climate action strategy, identifies how we’ll reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,  improve our health, grow our economy, and improve social equity. In July 2017 City Council unanimously approved a set of long-term, low-carbon goals, and strategies to reach them.

Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Plan (GCAP) was adopted in 2011 as a comprehensive climate action plan to support the city’s transformation to a low-carbon, thriving economy. The GCAP contains 10 goals and 17 targets, from green buildings and transportation, to supporting local food and access to nature, to fostering a green economy and resident action around climate change.

Recognizing that climate change is already impacting Washington, DC, the city is taking steps to prepare for change through its Climate Ready DC plan. At the same time, DC is committed to reducing its own contribution to the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. In December 2017, Washington, DC pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050. In order to get started now to achieve that goal, DC has developed Clean Energy DC, a roadmap to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2032 by cutting energy use and increasing the use of renewable energy.

Yokohama is the largest single municipality in Japan with a population of 3.7 million citizens, facing big challenges, such as accelerated aging population and energy problems associated with the Great East Japan Earthquake. These circumstance, being selected as “FutureCity” by the government, Yokohama City is committed to address urban problems such as hyper aging society and reduction of CO2 emissions, along with the revitalization of the economy.