Emissions-free transportation zones, planting trees, encouraging bicycle use and powering utilities with renewable energy are among the easiest ways for cities to go green. Eco-conscious policymakers in some of the world's largest cities are pushing further, aiming for carbon neutrality—the state of net-zero carbon emissions, in which offsets equal carbon production. To achieve this, they're putting new plans into action that take the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Accords into account, and making public the dates they have set to achieve them.
Coastal Carbon Reducer
Vancouver, British Columbia
The 2011 Greenest City Adoption Plan lays out 10 goals and 17 targets for Canada's biggest city on the Pacific Ocean. It sets out a pathway toward greening buildings, transportation, power production, food and nature. Vancouver aims to be carbon neutral by 2050 and have buildings and transportation powered only by renewable energy before then.
Sky's the Limit
Toronto
Like many other cities, Toronto has set the goal of being carbon neutral by 2050. Unlike other cities, Toronto's renewable energy target by that date is 75 percent, which will require fewer offsets than many other cities. By 2030, all new buildings will be built to produce near-zero greenhouse gas, and older buildings will be retrofitted to reduce their carbon footprint by 2050, including the city's skyscrapers.
Big City, Big Investment
New York City
The Big Apple is investing $20 billion into greening and protecting its five boroughs. By 2050, the city hopes to have reduced its emissions by 80 percent below their 2005 level, and has already achieved a 15 percent reduction toward that goal. By 2030, New York aims to have 1 gigawatt of power provided by solar power. Today, gas is the leading fuel.
Track Your Footprints
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Argentina's capital has set goals related to climate change for 2030 and 2050, reducing energy, mobility and waste emissions along the way. Solar panels now cover many of the city's rooftops, residents can track their climate footprint via an app—the first carbon footprint meter based on big data such as social media usage—and green agenda items like installing better waste treatment and planting more trees are on the agenda.
Early Adopter
Recife, Brazil
The large port city called the "Brazilian Venice" is surrounded by water and was the first city in Brazil to formally declare a climate emergency. Following that, the city set a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and achieving 100 percent renewable citywide operations by 2037.
Promising Port
Amsterdam
The port city has two major goals: to reduce carbon emissions by 55 percent by 2030 and 95 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. Excluding motorways and provincial roads, the city expects to achieve zero CO2 emissions by 2030. Despite its extra emissions burden from being a port city, Amsterdam is working on a circular economy, clean transportation and transitioning to low-footprint fuel sources.
Two Feet Forward
Copenhagen, Denmark
Located just across the Øresund Bridge from Sweden, the port city of Copenhagen is continuously recognized as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world. Solar, wind and biomass power are helping to fuel the city's 2025 carbon neutrality ambitions. In order to hit that goal, the country has advised that by then, at least 75 percent of all trips must be completed by foot, bike or public transport. Current adoption of battery-electric, fuel-cell and biomass-powered vehicles is helping to aid the city's carbon neutrality.
Protecting Resources
Johannesburg
While many African countries have laid out their go-green initiatives, Joburg is one of the few cities on the continent to have its own public plan including significant regulations. Its 2040 Growth and Development Strategy lays out plans for a more sustainable urban area in accordance with Paris Climate Accords benchmarks. The sub-tropical city, one of the most densely populated in the world, is leaning on these actions to improve air quality and the health of its residents.
Sea Solutions
Yokohama, Japan
In 150 years, Yokohama has gone from a sleepy village of 100 homes to a bustling port city that is home to major corporations, like Nissan. Yokohama, unlike other major cities, has agricultural emissions to be considered as it unwinds its carbon footprint. One method: to utilize seaweed as fertilizer as a substitute for environmentally harmful substances. The city aims to be powered by 100 percent renewable energy and be completely carbon neutral by 2050.
First Out of the Gate
Sydney
This coastal city is well ahead of the curve when it comes to carbon neutrality. Its operations became carbon neutral in 2007. The New South Wales city also aims to have a 50-percent reduction in emissions seven years from now and hit net-zero emissions by 2035. Now Sydney is working on net-zero energy buildings and greening the economy.
About the writer
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull leads the Autos team at Newsweek. She has written extensively about the auto industry for U.S. News & ... Read more
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