Building Climate-smart Cities

Water scarcity could displace up to 700 million people by 2030.

Hydrogen creates exciting opportunities because it creates energy without releasing CO2, and can be used in place of fossil fuels to manufacture fertilizer, fuel vehicles, heat homes, and generate electricity.

Waste-to-Energy plants sustainably manage waste, as well as provide electricity and/or co-generated heat, collect scrap metal, and potentially, provide carbon credits for renewable energy.

Living closer together is one of the best ways to mitigate the environmental costs of transportation: Households in areas with more than 10,000 people per square mile consume nearly half the amount of gasoline as households in areas with fewer than 1,000 people per square mile.

More than half of the world’s population lives in cities and most future population growth is predicted to happen in urban areas. Single-family homes require more electricity to heat, cool, and power. New zoning approaches encourage more apartment buildings, which reduce each resident’s carbon footprint.

Reusing contaminated landfills and mines for renewable energy plants, like solar farms, not only reuses the land, but can save millions of dollars in energy costs, create construction jobs, and provide new property tax revenue.

Cement production contributes 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. But smart cement can actually reduce the material’s net carbon footprint by injecting CO2 into the concrete.

Flooding is the #1 natural disaster threat in the United States and the risk is expected to increase as a result of climate change. A real-time, community-oriented flood warning system based on the regular collection of local rainfall, stream level, and streamflow data can reduce risks involved with flooding.

Parking lots also help control stormwater overflow. As we transition away from the dominance of cars, they can be repurposed to collect stormwater.

Using recycled glass and certain plastics instead of virgin materials can cut energy use and emissions, while reducing environmental impacts by more than 50%. Recycled paper and aluminum reduce environmental impacts between 70-85%.

Redesigning mobility around accessibility means giving priority to sustainable transport modes, such as walking, cycling, public transport and other forms of shared mobility—and even new modes.

Electric buses generate zero emissions, reduce air pollution, and cost less to operate than diesel-powered buses. For example, the e-bus system in Santiago, Chile includes bus stops that use solar panels to. power free Wi-Fi, USB charging and LED lighting. Their e-buses costs 70% less to operate and maintain than diesel-powered buses.

40% of global greenhouse gas emissions are connected to buildings. Farming on rooftops makes better use of space and resources, reducing wasted water, pesticides, and fertilizers, which all drive carbon emissions.

Emissions from transport have grown faster than any other sector over the last 50 years, accounting for approximately 23% of global CO2 emissions. New Mobility-as-a-Service innovations like rideshare services and electric bikes are shifting the transportation industry away from personally-owned vehicles to shared mobility devices delivered as a service—reducing our dependency on gas guzzling cars.

Walk-friendly neighborhoods are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also draw retail, restaurants, and investment. Ultra Low Emission Zones raise revenue that can be reinvested into the city’s public transport system. In London, this policy led to 44,000 fewer polluting vehicles in the city every day and a 44% reduction in roadside nitrogen dioxide in the first 10 months.

Wind energy avoided 198 million metric tons of CO2 emissions in 2019. New advancements in offshore wind farms mitigates any negative impact of the renewable energy on cities.

Seawater desalination not only increases the supply of fresh drinking water, but also presents economic opportunities like commercial salt, metal recovery, and fishing.

In coastal cities, waterfront parks can serve the dual purpose of providing green public space as well as a buffer from stormwater discharges.