Taking the Reins: Cities are Leading the Charge in Greenhouse Gas Reduction
So there's good news and there's bad news.
The bad news is that C40 Cities, a group of major cities across the globe combatting climate change, reported back in June that metropolitan areas have been underestimating their impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
The good news that half of the worldwide population lives in cities, which create more than 70% of energy emissions. So a concerted effort in some major municipalities could produce major results for billions of people.
Things like green(er) building codes, retrofitting older structures, and installing solar panels on roof tops can all make a big difference considering the fact that buildings (and the process of constructing them) make up almost 40% of annual energy emissions. And big cities have a lot of buildings—New York City alone has one million! Beyond that, cities can mobilize resources in other sectors like transportation, water, zoning, and energy, reaching millions of people with centralized efforts to decrease residents’ energy bills, improve air quality, and more.
Cities across the country and the world have committed to some impressive renewability and sustainability goals. Let’s take a look at how cities in America are reducing emissions and improving lives:
Grand Rapids, MI
The first step in decreasing emissions is effective tracking, and Grand Rapids has been keeping track of and reporting greenhouse gas emissions since 2009. Since then, they’ve reduced overall emissions by 23%, but also have targets for alternative-fuel vehicles, increasing the number of trees in the city, and even adding bike lanes.
Part of the emission reduction is due to solar and water power plants and even utilizing geothermal energy, but community buy-in has been another area Grand Rapids has invested in. Making goals and reporting available to the public, using environmental progress as a point of pride in political speeches, involving the church community— all of these efforts have created a public with high voluntary involvement in things like recycling programs and energy audits.
New York City, NY
Several major coastal cities are staring down the barrel of climate change and New York City is one of the largest, with Manhattan and Brooklyn particularly vulnerable to potentially rising sea levels. Even though half of the city’s inhabitants don’t own a vehicle and its average household electricity use isn’t even close to the national average, NYC can’t rest on its laurels. There’s still major work to be done to reduce emissions.
In 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio committed to reducing the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80% and in June of that year, he also vowed to uphold the tenants of the Paris Climate Agreement. So in April, NYC passed a pretty impressive climate change bill aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% below where they were in 1990 and offsetting the rest, creating a net-zero economy by 2050. By 2030, the city is aiming to get 70% of its electricity by renewable means. Billions of dollars will be allotted to retrofit the city’s aforementioned 1 million buildings to increase energy efficiency, add solar panels to building roofs, change city vehicles from gas to electric cars, and drastically increase the amount of trees in the city.
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco’s city departments have been proposing action plans to reduce departmental emissions and impact on the environment. The “0-80-100-Roots” plan focuses on trying to achieve:
- Zero waste by emphasizing reusing, recycling, and composting waste
- 80% sustainable trips like public transportation, biking, carpooling, etc.
- 100% renewable energy by offering renewable energy alternatives, encouraging electric vehicle purchases, and educating the public on energy efficiency at home
- Increase the number of trees and native plans in the city.
The immediate goal is to reach a 40% drop in emissions by 2025, increasing that to 80% by 2050.
The city has had its share of failed initiatives, but the progress is still evident. It’s been growing steadily in population and in GDP but has still seen a 28% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels. One thing helping San Francisco reach its goal is the participation of Bay Area mega-companies like Salesforce (already reached zero emissions) and Google (using 100% renewable energy).
Aspen, CO
Aspen’s popularity stems from its gorgeous natural environment so it makes sense that they set a goal in 2006 to run off 100% renewable energy. In 2015, they officially checked that box when the city’s electricity was powered completely from renewable sources. Using existing hydroelectric plants and contracting with other states to buy power produced from wind, water, and landfill gas all played a role in reaching this goal.
Although 100% renewable electricity is a great accomplishment, Aspen, like most cities, still has a long way to go. Many of the residential homes are heated by natural gas and the transportation sector is likely the next renewable target.
Houston, TX
Houston is widely considered a center for fossil fuel energy. After all, oil and gas built that city. But you might be surprised to learn that 92% of Houston’s power is from wind and solar energy. In fact, way back in 2002 the city started a transportation initiative to hybrid and electric vehicles. They’ve achieved a drop of 35% in city facility and operation greenhouse gas emissions since 2007.
Although the past several mayors of Houston have underscored the importance of taking action on climate change, Hurricane Harvey was a catalyst to action. “It’s not just that Hurricane Harvey was huge and impacted so many people, including City Hall. It’s not just that we were physically impacted, but the idea that we have had 500-year floods three years in a row. We can flood during any rainstorm. What we are doing today and what we are doing tomorrow makes a sustainably resilient city,” Chief Sustainability Officer for Houston, Lara Cottingham says.
While Houston’s renewably-sourced electricity is the stuff of any environmentalist's dreams, it still struggles with issues present in many southern cities. It’s a sprawling city with lots of polluting cars traversing its many, many highways, giving Houston the not-so-impressive title of highest greenhouse gas emissions per capita of the nation.
City planning, public transportation, and vehicle emissions will all be a focus for this energy city, but it just goes to show that every city has something to contribute in the fight against climate change.
Atlanta, GA
As of this April, 6-8% of the power that runs Atlanta is renewable. But recently, the city approved a green energy plan. Its goal: Go green by 2035.
It’s a relatively ambitious (and new) goal for the city, but they plan on taking a lot of the same small steps that the other cities on this list have taken: making existing buildings more energy efficient, increasing solar panels and even solar farms, buying energy credits to offset power use, and transitioning municipal vehicles to electric cars. Although it has a long way to go, here’s to Atlanta taking bold action in the South to combat climate change!
Cities across the country are spending major bucks to make major changes in greenhouse gas emissions, consumer consumption patterns, and economic sustainability. Charlotte, NC set a near-zero emissions goal for municipal buildings and vehicles by 2030. Minneapolis, MN is shooting to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050. Cleveland, OH released its first roadmap to combat climate change six years ago! Internationally, Iceland’s capital Reykjavik runs on 100% renewable electricity, and 87% of its heating and hot water is provided by geothermal energy. Australia’s capital, Canberra, reached 100% renewable electricity and slashed greenhouse gas emissions by 40%. And London, England has “ultra-low emission zones” where drivers in high-pollution cars are charged higher rates when driving in the city.
Every city comes with advantages and challenges for decreasing dependence on fossil fuels and reducing emissions, but they all have to start somewhere. With 287 cities and counties pledging to achieve the standards of the Paris Agreement, momentum is growing. And as each city charts its own path, more experience and resources are available for others to do the same. As Margaret Meade said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”