C40 launches Cities100 publication

C40 Cities, in partnership with Sustainia and Realdania, have launched the Cities100 publication, which features 100 leading policy solutions from cities around the world and serves as a guide to civic leaders and planners seeking to create resilient and productive cities.

“Sustainia, C40, and Realdania combined our shared passions for sustainable solutions and local action to produce this comprehensive look at city-based climate change solutions from all over the world,” Esben Alslund Lanthén, Editor on Cities100 and Analyst at Sustainia, told Cities Today. “We arrived at the 100-featured solutions in Cities100 after a rigorous assessment process in which all 216 applications were scored numerically on strict evaluation criteria, such as innovation and scalability. From there, all applications were individually vetted by a committee of expert advisors to provide nuance and perspective.”

With the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris approaching, the focus will be on national governments to reach a binding global climate deal, however Cities100 aims to highlight how city leaders are not waiting for national level changes. Instead, they are leading the charge against climate change by implementing local solutions to global problems.

Cities have always been centres of commerce, culture, and knowledge. Now they are harnessing their innovative, collaborative, and progressive nature to take action on climate change, forging a path to a low carbon future that improves the health, wellbeing, and economic opportunities of urban citizens.

“COP21 is a key moment, not least because it enshrines a new approach to global action on climate change in which cities and non-state actors have a major role to play,” Mark Watts, Executive Director, C40 Cities, told Cities Today. “While C40’s latest research shows just how much mayors have achieved already, there is no question that barriers remain which limit city governments’ ability to deliver to their full potential. The most significant of these are access to finance and a need for greater governmental co-ordination.”

Two leading examples taken from the Cities100 report come from Johannesburg and Milan. Johannesburg is issuing green bonds to finance climate mitigation projects worth more than US$143 million, enabling them to accelerate the roll out of 42,000 building smart meters, 43,000 solar water heaters and deployment of 152 hybrid buses.

In Milan, a city with one of the highest rates of car ownership in Europe, the “All you can share” mobility system is aiming to convince commuters that private car ownership is a thing of the past. More than 4,600 bikes are available to be picked up and dropped off at fixed stations, whilst 150 scooters and 2,000 cars, half of which will be electric by the end of 2015, are available throughout the city, accessible through an integrated and easy-to-operate system that users manage via a dedicated smartphone app.

“It is absolutely vital that cities learn from one another, in fact ensuring replicability and sharing of experiences with other cities was one of the scoring criteria,” added Alslund Lanthén. “With 70 percent of the world expected to live in a city by 2050, and urban areas responsible for up to 70 percent of global GHG emissions, cities don’t have time to reinvent the wheel when it comes to mitigating climate change. Many cities face similar environmental threats, and they know it’s crucial to share experiences and best practices in combating these challenges in order to lay the groundwork for a more sustainable future.”

While the hope is that nations will reach a binding deal, the 100 city solutions presented in this publication illustrates that cities can and do take meaningful action at the local level. City governments are directly accountable to their local constituents and more invested in the people and places they serve.