The 3 Key Tasks for World Leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit
The 3 Key Tasks for World Leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit
World leaders will soon gather in New York City for a summit on an urgent challenge that affects every aspect of our lives, from the economy to jobs, security and migration and our health. It is, of course, the climate crisis. The tens of thousands of fires recently afflicting the ...
China is Investing $13 Trillion in Construction. Will It Pursue Zero Carbon Buildings?
China is Investing $13 Trillion in Construction. Will It Pursue Zero Carbon Buildings?
China is in the midst of a construction mega-boom. The country has the largest buildings market in the world, making up 20% of all construction investment globally. And it’s only set to grow: China is expected to spend nearly $13 trillion on buildings by 2030. This ...
How Are Cities Managing Disruption? 5 Ways Brazilian Cities Are Regulating Electric Scooters
How Are Cities Managing Disruption? 5 Ways Brazilian Cities Are Regulating Electric Scooters
Market disruptions like shared electric scooters can be great for cities, getting people out of their private cars and enhancing connectivity and accessibility. But while e-scooters offer a practical and more sustainable new form of transportation, they also bring concerns ...
Heat + Emissions = Dangerous Urban Air Quality
Heat + Emissions = Dangerous Urban Air Quality
Summertime often means soaring, dangerous temperatures. Recent heat waves in Europe brought government warnings, power plant shutdowns, restrictions on automobile use, heat stroke and deaths. But misery in Europe and elsewhere is compounded by the chemistry of how emissions from ...
Hainan Bans All Fossil Fuel Vehicles. What Does it Mean for Clean Transport in China?
Hainan Bans All Fossil Fuel Vehicles. What Does it Mean for Clean Transport in China?
In March, China’s southern island province of Hainan became the first in the country to set a date by which all sales of internal combustion engine vehicles are to be ended. Hainan’s Clean Energy Vehicle Development Plan sets out a ...
Reshaping Public Policy Can Solve the Housing Affordability Crisis in US Cities
Reshaping Public Policy Can Solve the Housing Affordability Crisis in US Cities
We’re living in the midst of a housing affordability crisis. Demand for apartments and condos continues to outpace supply in most urban cores. Upward pressure on asking rents is displacing low-income renters to nearby communities and middle-income renters are starting ...
Is It Worth It to Go Electric? New Tool Helps Cities Understand Costs & Benefits of Clean Buses
Is It Worth It to Go Electric? New Tool Helps Cities Understand Costs & Benefits of Clean Buses
Buses are one of the major sources of emissions in many cities, and they are undergoing a quiet revolution. A confluence of improved technology and increasing demand, driven by air pollution that is getting harder to ignore and more stringent ...
Despite Challenges, Virginia Cities Envision a Bold Clean Energy Future
Despite Challenges, Virginia Cities Envision a Bold Clean Energy Future
U.S. solar power is booming, poised to grow 12% nationally this year, but so far, Virginia hasn’t been a big part of the boom. With only 775 megawatts of installed solar capacity, solar represents about 1% of Virginia’s electricity consumption. That’s enough to power ...
Finance for Urban Climate Action Remains Low. How Can Cities Bridge the Gap?
Finance for Urban Climate Action Remains Low. How Can Cities Bridge the Gap?
Due to historic levels of urbanization, cities have become focal points for creating a more sustainable world. Cities currently account for 80% of global GDP, 70% of emissions, and two-thirds of total energy consumption. The urgent need for climate action ...
A Tale of Two Cities in Brazil (and the Forest that Connects Them)
A Tale of Two Cities in Brazil (and the Forest that Connects Them)
What if you could send a WhatsApp message and a colorful green van would deliver free native tree seedlings directly to you? In Salvador, Brazil, the local government does just that. Painted with a picture of a biodiverse Brazilian forest, ...