City Climate Leadership Awards by
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CITY CLIMATE LEADERSHIP AWARDS 2013 Cities leading the way to a sustainable future Summary and profile of winners
www.cityclimateleadershipawards.com
25/10/2013 12:05
CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS About the C40 & Siemens partnership ..................................................3 Introduction: The City Climate Leadership Awards ...............................7 Lessons from the Awards.......................................................................9 The Award categories.............................................................................11 Methodology and judging panel........................................................... 12 Category 1: Urban Transportation ........................................................ 13 Category 2: Waste Management.......................................................... 15 Category 3: Finance & Economic Development................................... 17 Category 4: Carbon Measurement & Planning..................................... 19 Category 5: Sustainable Communities................................................. 21 Category 6: Green Energy......................................................................23 Category 7: Adaptation & Resilience....................................................25 Category 8: Energy Efficient Built Environment..................................27 Category 9: Air Quality..........................................................................29 Category 10: Intelligent City Infrastructure.......................................... 31 The Citizen’s Choice Award...................................................................33 City Climate Leadership Awards 2014..................................................35
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PARTNERSHIP
About the C40 & Siemens Partnership In April 2013, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) and Siemens announced a new collaboration. A key pillar of the partnership is the creation of a global prize competition to highlight excellence in urban sustainability. The C40 & Siemens City Climate Leadership Awards provide global recognition for cities that are demonstrating climate action leadership. For more information, go to: www.cityclimateleadershipawards.com
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Foreword
In the global fight against climate change, cities are clearly leading the way. In terms of both reducing emissions and preparing for the impact of climate change, C40’s research shows that cities are taking widespread action across key sectors – and are having a significant global impact. Cities’ global impact isn’t only because they are so important themselves, with more than one-fifth of the entire planet’s GDP occurring in the metro areas of C40 cities; it’s also in the fact that cities routinely learn from each other, adopting and translating ideas so that any given local initiative may start a global phenomenon. In 2010, Tokyo launched the world’s first urban cap-and-trade programme to control greenhouse gas emissions; its system is being studied by several other cities for possible adoption. Mexico City, once singled out by the United Nations as “the most polluted city on the planet”, is now far cleaner, thanks to hundreds of separate measures taken since 1990 under its ProAire initiative. Singapore was the first city to implement congestion pricing, inspiring cities such as London, Stockholm and Milan to adopt similar measures. These are just a few of the many innovations that have helped cities build a more sustainable future. The global impact of climate innovation in megacities is a central message for both C40 and Siemens, and this is why we have created the C40 & Siemens City Climate Leadership Awards: to provide global recognition to cities that are demonstrating leadership by taking climate actions, and showcasing these success stories so that other cities will be inspired and feel empowered to act.
For the inaugural awards in 2013, nominees came from around the world. Each submission represented a project that was developed to respond to a specific challenge in a specific city. And, as much as they share commonalities, no two cities are the same. In some cities, transportation is the key challenge; in others, solid waste; in some, new construction; in others, retrofitting existing buildings. But all of the nominated cities have several things in common: ambitious goals to mitigate and adapt to climate change; the political determination to follow through on these goals; and a commitment to continually measure and report progress. More nimble and action-oriented than their state and federal counterparts, the governments of the world’s leading cities serve their own residents and lead the world by adopting innovative climate solutions and demonstrating their feasibility in some of the world’s most challenging environments. The Awards honour the best experiments — those that show the most striking results, and the most innovative approaches – and also focus on ones that can be empirically evaluated, scaled and replicated. We believe this year’s winning projects will make a measurable difference as they are adopted by, and adapted to, cities all around the world.
Rohit T. Aggarwala Special Advisor to the Chair C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
Roland Busch Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG CEO Infrastructure & Cities Sector
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ABOUT
About C40
About SIEMENS
The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) is a network of large and engaged cities from around the world, committed to implementing meaningful and sustainable climate-related actions locally that will help address climate change globally. C40 was established in 2005 and expanded via a partnership in 2006 with President William J. Clinton’s Climate Initiative (CCI). The current chair of the C40 is New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. To learn more about the work of C40 and our Cities, please visit www.c40.org.
The Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector, with approximately 90,000 employees, focuses on sustainable technologies for metropolitan areas and their infrastructures. Its offering includes products, systems and solutions for intelligent traffic management, rail-bound transportation, smart grids, power distribution, energy-efficient buildings, and safety and security. The Sector comprises the divisions Building Technologies, Low and Medium Voltage, Mobility and Logistics, Rail Systems and Smart Grid. For more information, please visit www.siemens.com/infrastructure-cities.
Lowering emissions: (left) More than half a million bicycle trips were made within the first six weeks of the launch of London’s public bicycle-sharing scheme 1; (above) more and more cities are developing green spaces for citizens Source: Transport for London
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Deymos Photo/Shutterstock.com, joyfull/Shutterstock.com
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ABOUT
About the Awards competition The C40 & Siemens City Climate Leadership Awards are granted annually in 10 categories. The 2013 Award winners are as follows: l Urban Transportation: Bogotá – TransMilenio + E-taxis l Waste Management: San Francisco – Zero Waste Program l Finance & Economic Development: Tokyo – City Cap-and-Trade Program l Carbon Measurement & Planning: Copenhagen – CPH Climate Plan 2025 l Sustainable Communities: Rio de Janeiro – Morar Carioca l Green Energy: Munich – 100% Green Power l Energy Efficient Built Environment: Melbourne – Sustainable Buildings Program l Adaptation & Resilience: New York City – A Stronger, More Resilient New York l Air Quality: Mexico City – ProAire l Intelligent City Infrastructure: Singapore – Intelligent Transport System
An independent, seven-member judging panel consisting of former mayors, architects and representatives of the World Bank, C40 and Siemens selected the 2013 Awards finalists and winners. Twenty-nine cities representing a total of 37 projects across the 10 categories were nominated as 2013 finalists. The 10 city award winners were announced at an Awards ceremony in London on September 4. The winner of the Citizen’s Choice Award was announced in early December.
About the Awards event The inaugural Awards event was a two-day programme held in London at the Crystal, a new London landmark and home to Siemens’ sustainable cities initiative. The programme consisted of the Awards ceremony on the evening of September 4, followed by a conference the next day gathering mayors, city delegates and urban sustainability experts to address some of the most pressing climate change and sustainability challenges of the day.
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Urban sustainability: Siemens’ global knowledge hub, The Crystal in London’s Royal Victoria Docks, opened in 2012 and was designed to meet some of the world’s most stringent environmental standards for construction
introduction
cities are forging ahead no lack of ambition
CITY CLIMATE LEADERSHIP AWARDS
While international climate talks continue to make incremental progress, cities are forging ahead as the level of government closest to their constituents and most directly responsible for their health and well–being.
These local solutions make cities ideally placed to exchange valuable knowledge on addressing the sources and impacts of climate change. Accordingly, one of the fundamental aims of The City Climate Leadership Awards is to facilitate and drive this process. As London Mayor Boris Johnson quipped at the opening of the Awards ceremony, he would “shamelessly steal” best practices from other cities around the world. The reality is that global cities can and do inspire, motivate and learn from each other.
As C40 Chair and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg puts it: “The C40 & Siemens City Climate Leadership Awards are dedicated to the idea that cities – by refusing to wait for action from national governments and international bodies – can lead the way in addressing the risks posed by climate change.” This is already evident within many leading cities. It is local legislation and leadership that put Munich on the path to becoming the world’s first large city powered entirely by renewable sources, and led Houston – a city built on oil money—to set itself the goal of becoming the “green energy capital of the US”. Such goals can affect genuine change. Already, Houston is the largest municipal purchaser of renewable energy in the US, for example.
“The world’s cities are facing similar problems,” says Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens’ Infrastructure & Cities Sector. “We all know two things: the fight against climate change will be decided in cities. And it is through cooperations that we can tackle climate change. The City Climate Leadership Awards are a prime example of our successful cooperation with C40. It helps cities to optimize their performances and share their experiences. Its value is immeasurable.” Cities are at the vanguard of climate change. Where they lead, the world will follow.
“ We all know two things: the fight against climate change will be decided in cities. And it is through cooperations that we can tackle climate change.” Roland Busch
CEO Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector
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$19bn
New York suffered US$19 billion in damage and economic loss when Superstorm Sandy struck in 2012
100m
San Francisco has eliminated the use of 100 million plastic bags annually
introduction
Why CITIES? The case for city leadership on climate change is strong. Cities consume over two-thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70 percent of global CO2 emissions, the most prevalent of the greenhouse gases (GHG). And cities are growing. In 2007, for the first time in history, more than half of the world’s population was located in urban areas1. By 2050, 70 percent of the world’s population will be urban2. At the same time, urban populations and infrastructure are threatened by the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels and intensifying storms and heat waves. New York’s Superstorm Sandy, for example, totaled $19 billion in damage and economic loss3. According to the World Bank, there will be a manifold increase in damage caused by flooding in coastal cities over the coming decades – reaching an average annual cost of $1 trillion globally by 2050, if defensive measures are not taken.
“ Cities are full of people, and people are the agents of change.” Laura Sandys, MP
A strong capacity – and will – to act
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Because of their immense scale, initiatives in cities can show sizeable results quickly. One green transportation scheme in Bogotá is removing 350,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year. A waste program in San Francisco has eliminated the use of 100 million plastic bags annually. And a sustainable community project in Rio de Janeiro is benefitting 65,000 households in poor neighborhoods.
Innovative social spaces: (above) New York’s High Line Park, built on an elevated disused railway, is full of foliage, picnic spaces and installations
World Urbanization Prospects, The 2007 Revision, United Nations, New York 2008 United Nations Population Division, 2008 3” Mayor Bloomberg Outlines Ambitious Proposal to Protect City Against the Effects of Climate Change to Build a Stronger, More Resilient New York”, City of New York, 11 June 2013 1
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pio3/Shutterstock.com
These factors combine to make cities ideal leaders in efforts to combat and adapt to climate change. Moreover, the powers that cities have over significant economic, environmental and social assets give them enormous potential to set the framework for a low carbon economy. City governments understand better than anyone what is at stake – and the cost of inaction. Furthermore, cities bring many strengths to the cause: innovative public policies, political will, financial resources, creativity and of course, people. “Cities are full of people, and people are the agents of change,” says Laura Sandys, MP, Parliamentary Private Secretary to the United Kingdom’s Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, who presented at the City Climate Leadership Conference in September 2013.
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the United Kingdom’s Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change
KEY THEMES
Lessons learned The City Climate Leadership Awards Conference was held on September 5, 2013, at the Crystal in London. It brought together leaders on climate change and sustainability from city governments, sustainability leaders, NGOs and the private sector. In a series of workshops, participants shared lessons from the 29 initiatives profiled from the shortlisted cities. The following key themes emerged: Measuring for management “If you can’t measure it you can’t manage it” is the mantra of Mayor Bloomberg. The first step for many cities in tackling climate change is to measure key indicators so they can set priorities and goals; promote transparency and accountability; track performance against targets; and compare conditions in different cities. During the Awards conference, a distinguished panel brought together leading experts to discuss the importance of establishing a single global standard for reporting GHG emissions and design powerful climate action plans. The creation of a global protocol for community-scale GHG emissions will empower local governments to accelerate their actions and access funding for mitigation and adaptation projects.
MAYORAL COMMITMENT Global cooperation on controlling greenhouse gases and climate change has been frustratingly elusive – commitments such as the Kyoto Protocol and Copenhagen Accord have not bound the world’s largest polluters to meaningful action. But with mayors committed to taking action on this issue, cities are forging ahead. In its CPH Climate Plan 2025, the city of Copenhagen has committed itself to fulfilling the aims of the Accord that was drafted there in 2009. And San Francisco has doubled the reduction in greenhouse gases that the Kyoto Protocol proscribed. Leadership from city government – especially mayors – was cited as being critical to getting initiatives off the ground.
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Once programs take off, however, and results are shown to be positive, initiatives can carry on even as administrations change. Legislation of targets helps ensure continuity.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT Citizen engagement, education and awareness were critical themes of the 2013 Awards. City delegates highlighted the importance of public outreach throughout the formulation of an action plan. Gustav Landhal, Head of the Stockholm environment department, for example, mentioned that over three-quarters of the Swedish capital were against the city congestion fee that would oblige them to pay fees to enter the metropolitan area with a car. However a six-month pilot project, followed by a public referendum, turned the tide of public opinion and a majority came to regard it as a beneficial measure. The city of San Francisco, winner of the waste category for its Zero Waste program, has also been extremely successful in altering the minds, habits, and culture of its citizens to accept the goal of zero waste. Regarding garbage and recycling, collection rates give price incentives for recycling and composting. For example, in order to encourage behavioral changes, the city banned Styrofoam and plastic shopping bags in all retail establishments, including grocery stores, food-service ware, and packaging in restaurants, coffee shops and food courts.
KEY THEMES
A SOUND INVESTMENT Successful climate change initiatives are not simply costs to be borne for the sake of future generations. Rather, they can be economic opportunities – creating jobs, establishing new export industries, boosting energy and other resource efficiencies – that generate cost savings and profitable returns. In Lagos, for example, a public private partnership to establish an integrated waste management system has given work to 350 private waste collectors, and provided Lagos with the capability to process waste from other African cities for a profit. And in Seoul, government investment in fuel cell technology is expected to reduce energy costs – and eventually spur the export of fuel cells to other cities. As Ola Oresanya, Managing Director of Lagos Waste Management Authority, noted: “There is always a solution in the problem itself.”
The power of integration Comprehensive and inclusive approaches are two critical strengths that made the 10 winners of the City Climate Leadership Awards stand out: addressing a challenge from multiple angles and establishing buy-in from key stakeholders seem to be a sine qua non condition of a successful project. Mexico City’s strategy for cleaner air includes everything from closing polluting factories, to establishing and restoring parks and other green business areas, to supporting bus rapid transit and bike-sharing programs. It also contains mandates for education, scientific research and measurement. Conference participants noted that multi-faceted plans bring different agencies to work together, achieving much more as a result.
technology plays a strong role Many participants noted the role that technology can play in measuring risk, monitoring actions and coordinating the many components of an integrated initiative on climate change. Singapore’s Intelligent Transport System stood
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out in this regard. Despite having a growing population and limited space, the city is among the least congested in the world. It uses Electronic Road Pricing – tolls that vary according to traffic flows. Other “intelligent” elements include an Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System, alerting motorists to traffic accidents, and a GPS system installed on the city’s taxis that monitors traffic conditions. All information is fed into the city’s Operations Center, which consolidates the data and provides real-time traffic information to the public.
Win-win-win A common refrain throughout the conference was that well-designed initiatives can meet three desirable objectives simultaneously: improving a city’s liveability, increasing sustainability, and promoting economic growth. This was certainly true of the finalists in the inaugural awards competition. By sharing lessons learned from the development or the implementation of their programs, urban leaders ensure that other cities can reap similar benefits.
“ If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Michael Bloomberg
C40 Chair (2010–2013) and New York City Mayor (2001–2013)
Empowering Cities in Climate Action Planning: Panel participants (left to right) Paul Dickinson, Executive Chairman, CDP; Karin Kemper, Director for Climate Policy and Finance at the World Bank; Fong Wee Kean, World Resource Institute, GHG Protocol City Project; Stian Berger Røsland, Governing Mayor of Oslo; moderated by Rohit Aggarwala, special advisor to the Chair of the C40, and environmental program lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies
Categories
The C40 & Siemens City Climate Leadership Awards are granted in 10 categories.
1. Urban Transportation This category recognizes projects, policies or initiatives that are significantly improving and greening urban transportation as measured by modal shift and reduced GHG emissions.
2. Waste management This category recognizes projects, policies or initiatives that improve the waste management system of a city, considering social, environmental and economic impacts, as well as public participation.
3. Finance & Economic Development This category recognizes projects, policies or initiatives that either demonstrate innovation in financing projects across all award categories, or show how environmental and climate protection initiatives can be incorporated into a city’s economic development strategy.
4. Carbon Measurement & Planning This category recognizes projects, policies or initiatives that demonstrate the strategic role that a comprehensive, cross-cutting, policyrelevant, standardised GHG emissions inventory can have on a city’s green strategy.
5. Sustainable Communities This category recognizes projects, policies or initiatives that show a pathway to sustainable, resilient, and low carbon communities.
6. Green energy This category recognizes projects, policies or initiatives that demonstrate successfully implemented green energy strategies on a city and/or neighborhood level.
7. Adaptation & Resilience This category recognizes projects, policies or initiatives that demonstrate a city-wide approach to measuring, assessing and addressing climate risk, and details steps to improve resilience of a city’s infrastructure and economy.
8. Energy Efficient Built Environment This category recognizes projects, policies or initiatives that aim to mitigate the environmental impact of public, commercial and residential buildings or other city assets.
9. air quality This category recognizes projects, policies or initiatives that aim to improve air quality, demonstrating innovative approaches to reduce particular matter (PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions while also addressing global climate change.
10. Intelligent City Infrastructure The winning project or initiative is one that optimizes existing or new infrastructure systems by making them faster, more efficient, safer or more reliable by integrating intelligence (e.g. automated systems, IT or communications technology) into infrastructure projects.
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methodology
METHoDOLOGY AND JUDgING PANEL An independent, seven-member panel of judges selected the Awards finalists and winners. Twenty-nine cities representing a total of 37 projects across the 10 categories were nominated as 2013 finalists. The 10 city award winners were announced on September 4 at the Awards ceremony in London.
Rohit T. Aggarwala Special Advisor to the Chair of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and Environmental Program Lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies
C40 Cities were eligible for selection across all 10 categories, and were the sole candidates for the following: Urban Transportation; Waste Management; Finance & Economic Development; Carbon Measurement & Planning; and Sustainable Communities. Across the remaining categories – Green Energy; Energy Efficient Built Environment; Adaptation & Resilience; Air Quality; and Intelligent City Infrastructure – both C40 Cities and the 120 cities in the Siemens and Economist Intelligence Unit research project Green City Index (GCI), were eligible for selection.
Ritt Bjerregaard Former Lord Mayor of Copenhagen and former EU Commissioner for the Environment
Dr. Fauzi Bowo Former Governor of Jakarta
Assessment criteria Winning projects and initiatives were evaluated according to six criteria: 1. Level of environmental success in the city. For example, greenhouse gas reduction and air quality improvement, climate risk mitigation, direct and indirect impacts, scope and comprehensiveness. 2. Innovation. The extent to which the initiative or project takes an entirely new or groundbreaking approach to address major environmental issues. 3. Quality of the overall master plan of the project or initiative. This covers the prioritization of a project, as well as its implementation, timeline and budget. 4. Demonstration of leadership, good governance, vision and commitment. For example, the mobilization of relevant stakeholders, and citizen engagement and buy-in. 5. Effectiveness. The achievement of the best outcome within a limited budget. 6. Replicability and scalability. The ability of the initiative or project to inspire others, or the potential ease of implementation in other cities and other regions.
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Daryl Dulaney President & CEO, Siemens Industry, Inc.
Eduardo Jorge Former Secretary of the Environment, São Paulo
Abha Joshi-Ghani Director for Knowledge Exchange and Learning Department at the World Bank Institute
Daniel Libeskind International architect and designer
Urban Transportation
Improvement and greening of urban transportation, as measured by modal shift and reduced GHG emissions
WINNER
TransMilenio & E-taxis Bogotá, Colombia
Urban Transportation award recipient: Bogotá, for its efforts to green its bus and taxi fleets. TransMilenio, the city’s Bus Rapid Transit system, launched in 2000 to transport over 70 percent of the city’s population, who travel daily by bus has already achieved emissions reductions of over 350,000 tons annually. New efforts to replace the current diesel fleet with hybrid and full electric buses has started with the aim of reaching 100 percent conversion by 2024. And as a leader in Latin America, Bogotá started an electric taxi cab pilot that promises to convert 50 percent of the city’s fleet within the next 10 years.
Jess Kraft/Shutterstock.com
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Urban Transportation
WINNER
Runners up
Bogotá, Colombia CHallenges With no metro or tramway at present, some 5 million people, or almost 70 percent of commuters, travel by diesel buses around Bogotá each day. As a result, the city has one of the highest levels of sulphur dioxide pollution of the Latin American Green City Index cities. However, a plan to replace most existing diesel buses with hybrid and full electric systems, as well as introduce and grow the city’s fleet of electric taxis, will help decrease high pollution levels and carbon emissions. Actions The city began tackling its air pollution and congestion problems in the year 2000 with the introduction of a bus rapid transit (BRT) system, TransMilenio. Now, of a city bus fleet of almost 18,000, around 2,000 are part of the BRT network (many articulated and some hybrid models) running on a network of 87km and carrying some 1.5 million passengers per day. The BRT network has been expanded over the years and a third phase of 36km is under construction.
To complement these initiatives, in 2013 a fleet of 46 electric taxis is to begin operating in Bogotá as part of a pilot project. Taxi cabs have the largest CO2 emissions per passenger in the city. A conversion to electric vehicle technology is expected to avoid the daily consumption of seven gallons of fossil fuel per vehicle, thereby cutting operating costs by more than 80 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70 percent across the soon-to-be 50-strong taxi fleet. Projected Outcomes Bogotá’s existing BRT is already widely credited with significantly reducing carbon emissions – by some 350,000 tonnes annually – and has been the first major transport scheme in the world to earn Kyoto carbon credits. The city is working closely with bus operators and funders like the World Bank and IDB to examine and promote innovative financing options. The city’s participation in the HEBTP reflects this commitment, by generating concrete data that operators could use to demonstrate the viability of electric and hybrid bus technology. If Bogotá’s scaling-up of electric and hybrid vehicle initiatives is successful, it could feasibly pave the way for other cities with BRT systems to replicate its technology and funding models.
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Plan for Sustainable Mobility Buenos Aires > Argentina’s first Bus Rapid Transit > Extension of the metro system > Adoption of hybrid vehicles > The nation’s first bike sharing programme > Expansion of pedestrian zones > Adoption of intelligent traffic management and information systems
Autolib’ Paris > Encourages people to use all-electric Bluecars, rather than drive polluting vehicles in the city > Works on the same principle as bicycle-sharing programmes — subscribers pick up cars from any number of the city’s parking and charging stations and drop them at a station near their destination.
Congestion Charge Stockholm > Automatic toll stations at city entry points that use number plate recognition to charge drivers > Charges vary by time of day — peak hours are most expensive, but there is no charge at night > Initiatives to increase the use of public transport, cycling and walking, and to “green” road transport
beboy/Shutterstock.com
The city began testing electric and hybrid buses on some routes last year, and took part in the Latin American Hybrid Electric Bus Test Programme (HEBTP), an initiative designed to test hybrid and all-electric buses in Latin America, in real-world conditions. Bogotá’s goal is to replace thousands of buses with low-emissions vehicles by the end of next year, making it one of the most ambitious electric
vehicle programmes in the world. Two hundred hybrid feeder buses are currently in production and expected to be running within the next three months.
waste management
Beneficial impact on the waste management system of a city (including both residential and business waste streams), considering social, environmental, economic and public participation impacts
WINNER
zero waste program san francisco, united states
Waste Management recipient: San Francisco, for its Zero Waste program, which began in 2002 and includes comprehensive waste management reforms, and has resulted in an unprecedented 80 percent landfill diversion rate. An impressive 300 tons of food scraps are collected per day, and 100 million fewer plastic bags are being used every year, putting the City well on its path to achieving its ambitious “zero waste� goal by 2020.
Andrew Zarivny/Shutterstock.com
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waste management
WINNER
Runners up
san francisco, united states CHallenges San Francisco has deployed its widely successful solid waste management programme based on the ambitious goal of zero waste by 2020. To ensure that no material goes to landfill or high temperature destruction, the city’s zero waste goal means that products are designed and used according to the principle of highest and best use. Zero waste also means that discarded materials follow the waste reduction hierarchy: reduce, reuse, and then recycle or compost. To meet its zero waste goal, San Francisco has used a three-pronged approach that addresses the legal, administrative and social challenges of waste management reform. Specifically, the city enacted strong waste-reduction policies; partnered with Recology, a like-minded materials management company, to innovate new programmes; and created a culture of recycling and composting. Actions
> The Lagos State Waste Management Authority established a PPP to close two dumps and establish a system to collect and flare the landfill gas from these sites > Over 60 percent of Lagos residents now have a regular waste collection service, taking place late at night when the roads are free > The PPP will also develop an organics composting facility, a materials recycling centre and a professionally engineered and operated landfill
Projected Outcomes San Francisco’s Zero Waste efforts have had a tremendous impact over the last two decades. From 1990 to 2010, landfill diversion increased from 35 percent to 80 percent. San Francisco disposed 428,048 tonnes of material in 2012, the lowest level on record. A construction and demolition debris ordinance has recovered tens of thousands of tonnes of material. Mandatory recycling and composting increased organics collection 50 percent to more than 600 tonnes per day (more than any composting programme in the United States).
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Integrated Waste Management System OSLO > Nearly 84,000 households are heated by energy from waste, including the thermal treatment of household and industrial waste > Methane gas from the Grønmo landfill is collected and piped to the Waste-to-Energy plant at Klemetsrud, where it is used to generate electricity
Bandeirantes Landfill Gas-toEnergy Project SÃO PAULO > Designed to collect landfill gas used to produce electricity > Began operating in 2004, and is among the first and largest methane capture systems in the world > Developed and operated through a public-private partnership with waste management company Biogas > Revenues from the sale of the carbon credits are re-invested in surrounding communities
Andrey Emelyanenko/Shutterstock.com, casadaphoto/Shutterstock.com
The city of San Francisco developed a long-term strategy that now amounts to a collection of pragmatic and effective reforms. Policies were rolled out incrementally, conscious of their interplay, and were generally divided into a handful of fields: production and packaging, consumption, public and private discards management and government procurement.
The city provides policy and oversight, develops programmes, sets financial incentives for material generators and service providers, conducts outreach and enforcement, and assists with technology research. Its primary partner, Recology, tests and operates infrastructure to collect and process recyclables, compostables and landfilled trash. Numerous other organisations and strong citizen engagement have played important roles in creating a culture of Zero Waste in the city.
Integrated Waste Management Plant LAGOS
finance & economic development
Innovation in financing or incentivizing investment in projects across all award categories, or demonstrating how environmental and climate protection initiatives can be effectively incorporated into an economic development strategy for the city
WINNER
city cap-and-trade program tokyo, japan
Finance & Economic Development recipient: Tokyo, for its cap-and-trade program, which became the world’s first when it was launched in April 2010,requiring CO2 reductions from large commercial and industrial buildings. In its first year, more than 1,100 facilities participating reduced emissions by 13 percent. The following year, an additional 10 percent reduction was achieved, bringing total emissions reductions achieved to date to more than 7 million tons of CO2.
SeanPavonePhoto/Shutterstock.com
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finance & economic development
WINNER
Runners up
tokyo, japan CHallenges
Projected Outcomes
As Japan’s largest economic centre, Tokyo accounts for 62 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per year. Energyrelated CO2 emissions account for about 95 percent of Tokyo’s GHG emissions. CO2 emissions in the commercial building sector accounted for approximately 40 percent in FY2010.
Under this program, Tokyo set the cap at 6 percent for the first compliance period (FY2010-FY2014), and 15 percent for the second compliance period (FY2015-FY2019). In its first year, the participating 1,159 facilities reduced emissions by 13 percent in total. Reports submitted at the end of November 2012 bring the second-year total to an overall 23 percent emission reduction below the base-year emissions. Of the required facilities, 93 percent have now met the first compliance factor, more than 70 percent of which met the 2019 target.
Actions In 2006, Tokyo announced its aim to cut emissions by 25 percent from 2000 levels by 2020. Since announcing its Tokyo Climate Change Strategy in June 2007, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government examined ways to bolster the fight against global warming. Based on a year-long intensive study, the Governor of Tokyo submitted a bill, which was passed by Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, introducing mandatory targets for GHG reductions for large-scale emitters as part of an emissions trading program. Launched on April 1, 2010, the Tokyo cap-and-trade program is the world’s first urban cap-and-trade program, requiring CO2 reductions from large commercial, government and industrial buildings through on-site energy efficiency measures or participation in the emissions trading scheme.
The success of Tokyo’s cap-and-trade program provides a compelling example for other cities to follow. Tokyo now sees energy efficiency efforts taken jointly by tenants and building owners. This joint cooperation has led to an increased public awareness of climate change issues. Through the market mechanism the program provides, buildings are more readily able to reduce emissions, with the ability to sell reductions credits to buildings with a sharp increase of energy consumption that are more costly to retrofit – driving greater emissions reductions at a reduced cost by all participants.
> Launched in 2000 by the Barcelona City Council > Encourages landowners to update obsolete urban planning elements > The 22@Network is composed of companies and institutions within the district that count innovation and knowledge as key components of their business models > The district also hosts the monthly 22@Update Breakfast to bring together professionals to exchange ideas and experiences regarding innovation > Since 2009, the 22@ Urban Cluster Day symposium has brought together 700 executives and representatives from companies within the 22@ District
Chicago Infrastructure Trust CHICAGO > Created by the city of Chicago to enable transformative infrastructure projects by creating access to private sector capital > Allows the city to partner with the private sector on projects that directly impact Chicago’s resource use, efficiency, and resiliency against climate-related risk > The Trust is currently preparing an request for a proposal for the first part of the Retrofit Chicago programme, which aims to reduce energy costs by more than US$20 million annually, create nearly 2,000 jobs, and remove the equivalent of more than 30,000 cars’ worth of emissions from the atmosphere annually
r.nagy/Shutterstock.com, Richard Cavalleri/Shutterstock.com
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22@Barcelona Barcelona
carbon measurement & planning Demonstration of the strategic role a comprehensive, cross-cutting, policyrelevant, standardised GHG emissions inventory can have in cities’ green strategies
WINNER
CPH 2025 Climate Plan copenhagen, denmark
Carbon Measurement & Planning recipient: Copenhagen, for its 2025 Climate Plan, which lays out the path for the city to become the first carbon neutral capital city by 2025. While focusing on all sectors that comprise the city’s carbon footprint, the plan sets ambitious targets and details strategies to achieve a significant reduction in building emissions – which comprise 75 percent of the city’s total. All told, implementation of the Plan will reduce city emissions to 400,000 tons by 2025.
Oleksiy Mark/Shutterstock.com
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carbon measurement & planning
WINNER
Runners up
copenhagen, denmark CHallenges
Projected Outcomes
By 2025, Copenhagen will be the first capital city in the world to become carbon neutral. To reach this ambitious goal, the city council has adopted a comprehensive and targeted carbon reduction master plan that aims to take the city’s CO2 emissions from its current level of around 2.5 million tonnes to under 1.2 million tonnes in less than two decades.
• All district heating and cooling will be carbon neutral by 2025 • Commercial buildings are to lower energy consumption by 20 percent, households by 10 percent, and public buildings by 40 percent • Street-lighting will consume 50 percent less energy • All of the city’s electricity consumption will come from renewable sources (and production will be greater than consumption) • Copenhageners will take 75 percent of trips by bicycle, on foot or by public transport (and 50 percent of trips to work or school will be by bike, up from 36 percent currently)
The CPH Climate Plan 2025 pays considerable attention to reducing building emissions, which are responsible for 75 percent of the city’s CO2 emissions. Many of Copenhagen’s buildings were built in the ’60s and ’70s and do not conform to new energy efficiency standards. Actions
The first “bicycle superhighway” – designed to connect outer districts and suburbs to the city centre – opened in 2012, with 26 more set to be developed over the coming years. The city also aims to make district heating and cooling carbon neutral. It recently opened its first district cooling plant, using seawater, and plans as many as seven over the master plan period to meet the city’s growing need for airconditioning.
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> Expanding mass transit and improving traffic systems > Promoting the use of renewable energy > Improving electricity consumption efficiency > Improving solid waste management and wastewater treatment efficiency > Expanding park areas
Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy LonDON > Retrofitting London’s homes by way of free energy audits and subsidies > Retrofitting London’s public sector buildings > A pilot project creating 10 low carbon zones in London, with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions by 20 percent across each community
PlaNYC and GreeNYC NEW YORK > 132 initiatives and 400 specific milestones, covering measures as diverse as tree plantings, bike lane creation and protection of water supply > Establishment of the Office of LongTerm Planning and Sustainability > Public education arm to help New Yorkers shrink city’s carbon footprint
24Novembers/Shutterstock.com, olavs/Shutterstock.com, Songquan Deng/Shutterstock.com
The Climate Plan is organised around four pillars: energy consumption, energy, mobility, and city administration. Wind farms, citywide efficient heating systems, energy efficiency and the development of public transportation networks and bike routes are some of the initiatives in the works to bring Copenhagen closer to its carbon-neutral goal.
Climate Change Action Plan BANGKOK
sustainable communities Demonstrating the pathway to sustainable, resilient, and low-carbon communities
WINNER
morar carioca rio de janeiro, brazil
Sustainable Communities recipient: Rio de Janeiro, for its Morar Carioca Program – a comprehensive urban revitalization strategy, which will invest in revitalization projects throughout the city with the aim of formalizing all of the city’s favelas by 2020. With 55 projects completed, this program is already having a direct impact on the environment, health and welfare of more 200,000 Rio residents, and will ultimately impact more than 20 percent of Rio’s population who currently live in informal settlements.
Catarina Belova/Shutterstock.com
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sustainable communities
WINNER
Runners up
rio de janeiro, brazil CHallenges: Brazil’s 2010 census estimated that 22 percent of Rio de Janeiro’s population lives in informal settlements or slums, called favelas. The majority of these lack adequate sanitation or building standards, leading to water pollution, soil degradation, methane emissions from waste, as well as a host of other social, health and safety issues for residents. The Morar Carioca Program, also called the Municipal Plan for the Integration of Informal Settlements, aims to provide integrated development and services through the Municipal Secretary of Housing (SMH) to incorporate these areas into the more formal communities that they generally border. Through holistic urban planning, rezoning, infrastructure upgrading, housing improvements, regularisation of land tenure, city services extensions and concentrated monitoring, this priority of the Rio de Janeiro city government aims to formalise all of the city’s favelas by 2020, improving living conditions for up to 232,000 households. Actions At Babilônia and Chapéu Mangueira, two favelas located at Leme (next to Copacabana), the focus of the project was to reduce carbon emissions whilst spurring sustainable practices and approaches such as LED outdoor lighting and selective waste collection. At Babilônia, the city of Rio
built 16 “green houses” and paved the Ary Barroso Hill, which provides access to the communities, with a mix of asphalt and recycled car tyres. So far, 68 favelas are being re-urbanised, providing direct benefits to more than 65,000 households, with a total investment of 2.1 billion reals. The aim is to keep people within their own communities, only relocating those currently occupying areas under high risk of landslides. Since 2009, nearly 20,000 families have been relocated, and the goal is to resettle all those living under risky conditions until 2016. Projected Outcomes The project is set to benefit up to 232,000 households by 2020, through a partnership between municipal and federal governments, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Brazilian Institute of Architects (Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil, IAB-RJ). IAB-RJ has selected 40 companies through a public call for tender to develop the projects in the favelas. Successfully converting slums into formal housing is a difficult task and urban development experts consider the public policy around this particular initiative to be one of the most challenging areas to get right. As such, Rio’s efforts are genuinely trying to avoid past errors and forge a sustainable solution by integrating the favelas into the city.
Clichy-Batignolles Paris > Large-scale, mixed-use development project, with the aim of becoming a model for sustainable communities > The community aims to be carbon neutral and includes many innovative elements, including buildings equipped with photovoltaic cells, and garbage and recyclables collected with a system of pneumatic tubes, sharply cutting emissions and odours
Porto Maravilha RIO DE JANEIRO > Large-scale urban redevelopment project to transform the Port with new commercial, residential and entertainment options > Legislation details the city’s vision for Porto Maravilha, including: streetscape grid upgrades; improved pedestrian access to the Guanabara Bay shoreline; and new light rail lines
Hammarby SjÖstad STOCKHOLM > Regenerating an old industrial and harbour area into a modern mixedused space with a low environmental impact > When complete in 2017, the project will have about 12,000 residential units, housing some 28,000 people and 10,000 working places
Sustainable Järva Stockholm
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Javier Martin/Shutterstock.com
> Goal of upgrading all of Stockholm’s buildings stock from the 1960s–’70s > Project goals include: halving energy consumption, improving possibilities for cycling and car-sharing, and installing 10,000m2 of solar panels
green energy
Successful implementation of green energy strategies on a city and/or neighbourhood level
WINNER
100% green power munich, germany
Green Energy recipient: Munich, for its 100% Green Power by 2025 Plan. Munich is aiming to produce enough green electricity at its own plants by 2025 to meet the power requirements of the entire municipality of Munich — at least 7.5 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) per year. This would make the capital of Bavaria the first city in the world with over a million inhabitants to run entirely on renewable power.
Boris Stroujko/Shutterstock.com
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green energy
WINNER
Runners up
munich, germany CHallenges With a population of 1.35 million, Munich is the third largest city in Germany and one of the country’s most important economic hubs. In 2009, the city set the ambitious goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy supply by 2025. In cooperation with the city-owned utility company Stadtwerke München (SWM), Munich is aiming to produce enough green electricity at its own plants by 2025 to meet the power requirements of the entire municipality of Munich — at least 7.5 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) per year. This would make Munich the first city in the world with over a million inhabitants to achieve this goal. Actions
For example, in summer 2009, SWM acquired five wind parks in Germany. The 25 wind power plants that are part of the system generate around 100 million kWh of green electricity per year. This meets the annual requirements of 40,000 Munich households and prevents the emission of
As a part of the overall plan, the SWM has also recently opened a virtual power plant – a network of several small-scale energy plants that are pooled and operated like a single system. The plant allows SWM to better plan and forecast the loads of these power generation sources, some of which run on renewable energy. The facilities have a combined output of more than 50 megawatts. Projected Outcomes On completion of the already initiated or executed projects, SWM will have a generation capacity of around 2.8 billion kWh of green electricity from its own plants. That equates to 37 percent of Munich’s power consumption and is significantly more than the requirements of all of Munich’s approximately 800,000 households, as well as the underground and tram systems. Munich has already introduced many green initiatives over the past few decades to reduce waste and make better use of its energy infrastructure, including renewables. With these enormously ambitious but clearly reachable targets, the city is taking up a pioneering role and operating at the forefront in terms of climate protection and environmental friendliness.
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Solar Roof Initiative BERLIN > Aims to get private investors to develop solar panels on municipal buildings > Households also incentivized to add solar panels to their roofs
50% Renewable Power HOUSTON > City administration has an agreement with Reliant Energy, an NRG Energy company, to purchase over 140 megawatts of renewable power for the next two years > The City has purchased renewable Green-E certified energy credits
Hydrogen Fuel Cells SEOUL > To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, more energy is being generated from renewable sources > Subsidies from the national government fund 60-70 percent of fuel cell projects
Offshore Wind Farms SHANGHAI > 13 offshore wind farms in operation by 2020, producing 2 gigawatts > Shanghai Green Electricity Trade mechanism, funded by World Bank, allows customers to voluntarily pay a premium for renewable electricity; many businesses opt in
BerlinPictures/Shutterstock.com, ArtisticPhoto/Shutterstock.com, isarescheewin/Shutterstock.com
In 2008, SWM launched the Renewable Energies Expansion Campaign, establishing a budget of around €9 billion to pursue Munich’s 100 percent renewable energy goal. Thus far, SWM has focused exclusively on cost-efficient projects that are self-sustaining. In addition to water, geothermal, solar and biomass, wind power is playing an increasingly important role in SWM’s strategy.
90,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. According to current forecasts, over 80 percent of green electricity will be generated by SWM’s own wind parks by 2015.
adaptation & Resilience
Citywide approach to measuring, assessing and addressing climate risk, which details steps to achieve a resilient outcome
WINNER
a stronger, more resilient new york new york city, united states
Adaptation & Resilience recipient: New York City, for its comprehensive and actionable plan, A Stronger, More Resilient New York, which focuses on rebuilding the communities impacted by Superstorm Sandy and increasing the resilience of infrastructure and buildings citywide. The 250 initiatives are not only bold proposals that can be implemented immediately: 60 will be achieved by the end of 2013 and $10 billion in funding has already been identified to support implementation.
dibrova/Shutterstock.com
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adaptation & Resilience
WINNER
Runners up
new york city, united states CHallenges On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy brought a 14-foot storm surge upon New York City, flooding roads, subway stations and electrical facilities, paralysing transportation networks and causing power outages. Forty-three people lost their lives and at least US$19 billion in damages were caused in New York metropolitan area. Out of the devastation rose a renewed determination to make the city more resilient in the face of severe weather events. Understanding and planning for climate risks was a goal originally enshrined in PlaNYC when it was launched in 2007 by C40 Chair and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. It is a pioneering effort to accommodate a growing population, enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers and address climate change. Actions
Key examples of projects and policies in the plan include: • Storm surge barriers on specific creeks and waterways • Armoured levees on certain beachfronts • Mandates for big buildings to undertake flood retrofits • Rebuild damaged housing stock • Reduce flood insurance rates for different resiliency measures
Climate Change Adaptation Plan JOHANNESBURG > Citywide vulnerability assessment conducted in 2008 identified key sector-specific risks, based on climate projections. Identified risks include: increase in heat-related deaths; increase in energy demand; health risks related to disease vectors; a range of urban flood-related risks; and disruption to water security > The assessment provided the basis for the city’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan, which prioritises strategic investments and activities to reduce climate risks
Projected Outcomes By implementing the first phase of A Stronger, More Resilient New York alone – focused on resilience of buildings and power infrastructure during future coastal storms – the city will be able to prevent economic losses of more than US$22 billion by the 2050’s, according to current estimates. The post-Sandy approach is innovative in that it engaged the entire city in a rapid, but very detailed, assessment and dramatically revises New York City’s relationship to its coastlines. It is a vanguard example of making opportunity out of disaster and looking at ways NYC can grow and evolve by addressing climate change.
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Climate Adaptation Partnership ROTTERDAM & HO CHI MINH CITY > Fellow delta city Rotterdam is sharing best practices with Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) to increase HCMC’s resilience to climate change and severe weather incidents > The Climate Adaptation Strategy – the cornerstone of the partnership – consists of six strategic directions to help ‘climate proof’ HCMC: • Base development direction on soil and water conditions • Use a stepwise approach for flood protection • Increase the water storage and drainage capacity • Prevent salinization where possible, adapt where necessary • Create alternatives for groundwater use • Strengthen the blue-green network and “urban ventilation”
Lucian Coman/Shutterstock.com, Dennis van de Water/Shutterstock.com
A Stronger, More Resilient New York – released only six months after Hurricane Sandy – is a plan that includes more than 250 initiatives that will further protect the coastline and strengthen the city’s buildings, and all the vital systems that support the life of the city (energy grid, transportation systems, parks, telecommunications networks, healthcare system, and water and food supplies). Building on the foundation laid by PlaNYC, the Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency, a special task force convened by Mayor Bloomberg to draft the plan, worked closely with state and national agencies, and sought extensive input from elected officials, community groups and over 1,000 New Yorkers who participated in public workshops.
Implementation is already underway to reinforce coastal protection measures, make the city’s buildings more resilient to flood and storms, revamp insurance options for home and business owners, and strengthen the healthcare, telecommunications, power and other critical infrastructure systems to address future climate risks.
energy efficient built environment Mitigation of the environmental impact of public, commercial and residential buildings or other city assets on the city
WINNER
sustainable buildings program melbourne, australia
Energy Efficient Built Environment recipient: Melbourne, for its Sustainable Buildings Program. This comprehensive approach brings together support for building owners and managers to complete energy & water retrofits with innovative city-designed and managed property-tax-based financing to improve the energy and water efficiency of private commercial buildings in the city.
Perig/Shutterstock.com
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energy efficient built environment
WINNER
Runners up
melbourne, australia CHallenges As Australia’s fastest growing city, Melbourne has been consistently embedding sustainability into its long-term development plans in order to ensure that growth is both economically and environmentally responsible. The City of Melbourne has set an ambitious goal for the municipality toward zero net emissions. The administration has devoted key resources to influence improvements to the commercial building sectors, which currently generate just over half of the city’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The administration has set a target to reduce carbon emissions from the commercial sector by 25 percent, and those from the residential sector by 20 percent on business-as-usual scenarios. To do so, it is blending “sticks” – such as minimum environmental standards on new buildings – with “carrots”, including funding, financial incentives and advice for upgrading and retrofitting existing buildings. Actions
Melbourne also recently launched Smart Blocks, a national online program designed to help apartment owners and their managers save money by improving energy efficiency of common areas in apartment buildings (it is estimated on average owners corporations can reduce their power bills by up to 30 percent). Projected Outcomes The city hopes that its efforts through the 1200 Buildings program will enable commercial buildings to improve their energy efficiency by approximately 38 percent, which would lead to the elimination of 383,000 tons of CO2 each year. 1200 Buildings would also lead to a reduction in potable water use in the commercial sector by 5 giga litres – important in a city with scarce water resources and at risk from the impacts of climate change. The program is assisting to achieve these targets through commitments to reduce energy waste and water use in the city’s major tenancies.
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Energy Saving Partnerships BERLIN > Private companies improve the energy efficiency of large public buildings, with both the contractors and the city benefiting from the cost savings > Upfront costs of retrofits are paid by the contractor (an Energy Saving Company, or ESCO) > Building owners pay back the ESCO over 8 to 12 years, in annual installments, from the energy savings > Without layout costs, owners realise savings from day one
Greener, Greater Buildings Plan NEW YORK CITY > Buildings required to publish energy and water consumption data on an annual basis > NYC Energy Conservation Code requiring all renovations that impact energy systems to meet new energy conservation standards > Building owners must conduct an energy audit and perform retrocommissioning once every 10 years > By 2025, non-residential lighting must be upgraded to meet the energy code and large commercial tenants are to be provided with sub-meters > Innovative financing tool via the New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation (NYCEEC)
S.Borisov/Shutterstock.com
The 1200 Buildings program was designed to encourage the retrofitting of 1,200 commercial buildings – 70 percent of the city’s commercial buildings stock. Running around two years now, the 1200 Buildings program has supported 10 per cent of the building sector to retrofit. Approximately 56 signatories (5 percent of the total) have committed to promote their efforts, while the remaining active building owners representing the dominant profile (individual and family owned) maintain their privacy. Combined with City Switch, a program dedicated to supporting office tenants, the City of Melbourne is building momentum and supporting action and could feasibly achieve reduction targets in the next ten years.
Research undertaken through the commercial buildings team led to the legislation of Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUAs), a finance mechanism developed to remove a number of barriers preventing building owners from accessing finance to retrofit buildings for energy and water efficiency. To date, four buildings have used EUAs to access finance to retrofit, representing $5.6million of investment and aiming to save 5,660 tons of carbon emissions and $491,000 in energy costs per year.
air quality
Improvement and greening of urban transportation, as measured by modal shift and reduced GHG emissions
WINNER
proaire
mexico city, mexico Air Quality recipient: Mexico City, for its ProAire program, which over the last two decades has recorded impressive reductions in local air pollution as well as CO2 emissions. The program’s elements range from measures aimed at the reduction of industrial and automobile emissions, urban sprawl containment, to public awareness campaigns. Once ranked the most polluted city on the planet, Mexico City proves that long-term determination and a comprehensive approach can make a huge difference in the air quality of a megacity.
Gerardo Borbolla/Shutterstock.com
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air quality
WINNER
Runners up
mexico city, mexico CHallenges In 1992, the United Nations reported that Mexico City was the most polluted city on the planet. Thanks to a series of comprehensive programmes – named ProAire – over the last two decades the city has recorded impressive reductions in local air pollution as well as CO2 emissions. Mexico City has shown outstanding commitment to its ProAire programmes, which have become increasingly comprehensive and ambitious. Although the city has seen definite progress, it recognizes there is still a long way to go. Actions The city’s government, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Environment Commission, has implemented four consecutive programmes since the first ProAire launched in 1990. Mexico City’s measures to improve air quality have been diverse, from closing the city’s most polluting factories to banning cars one day per week in the city’s metropolitan area.
The ProAire IV program, launched in 2011 and running until 2020, contains 89 measures and 116 separate actions across eight strategy areas, including energy consumption, greening of the municipal transport fleets, education, green areas and reforestation, capacity building and scientific research. Projected Outcomes ProAire is working. Mexico City’s success in tackling air pollution has helped to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from urban transport. The city recently recorded a 7.7 million tons reduction in carbon emissions in just four years (2008 to 2012), beating a 7.0million tons target. To make further progress, the city recognizes it needs to get the public on board, and has dedicated more resources to education programmes and public awareness campaigns. There is no quick fix, but Mexico City’s decades-long efforts are showing that comprehensive approaches, and openness to the best ideas, can make a huge difference and be an inspiration for other major cities in the world.
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Clean Air Fund & Air Strategy LONDON > Hybrid buses and a zero-emissions fleet run on hydrogen fuel cells > Source London – an electronic vehicles membership scheme > Restrictions on taxi licenses and a project to create a zero-emissions taxi > Clean Air Fund provided by the Department for Transport to pilot methods for reducing PM10 particulate matter. The five measures tested: diesel particulate filters on buses; “no idling” programme for taxi drivers; green infrastructure (walls, roofs, trees); dust suppressants; and a business engagement scheme, encouraging workers to cycle or walk to work
San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan LOS ANGELES > Covers all sources of port pollution – ships, trucks, trains, cargo-handling equipment and harbour craft > Combines new regulations and bans on the worst sources of pollution with incentives to switch to cleaner vehicles, fuels and technologies > Aggressive milestones with measurable goals for air quality improvements
Alessandro Colle/Shutterstock.com, Konstantin Sutyagin/Shutterstock.com
Its BRT Metrobus system, launched in 2005 as part of the ProAire III program, is the longest such system in Latin America. The city’s Ecobici bike-sharing programme is also the largest in the region, and has been replicated in other Latin American cities. Although Mexico City has already made
great strides in improving its air quality, it remains proactive in tackling the challenges that remain.
intelligent city infrastructure Optimizes existing or new infrastructure systems by making them faster, more efficient, safer or more reliable
WINNER
intelligent transport system singapore
Intelligent City Infrastructure recipient: Singapore, for its Intelligent Transport System, which incorporates a range of “smart” transportation technologies, including one of the world’s first Electronic Road Pricing Systems, real-time traffic information delivered through GPS-enabled taxis, and a highly integrated public transportation system. These intelligent solutions allow Singapore to enjoy one of the lowest congestion rates of a city its size anywhere in the world.
Tuomas Lehtinen/Shutterstock.com
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intelligent city infrastructure
WINNER
Runners up
singapore CHallenges: A growing urban population and lack of available physical space have made traffic management increasingly challenging in Singapore. In total, 12 percent of Singapore’s land is occupied by roads today, with 15 percent of land area devoted to housing. Continuing to expand the road network to address the growing transportation demands has not been seen as a sustainable option. To address these demands, it has been necessary to maximize the capacity of the road network. Policy tools have been complemented by technologies leveraging on intelligent transportation solutions along the entire transportation process in the city. Actions Singapore has implemented a sophisticated Intelligent Transport System in addition to a number of transport initiatives – including free public transportation in pre-morning peak hours, a vehicle quota system, congestion charge and an extensive public transport system.
“Intelligent” is also the way the Land Transport Masterplan brought together the public, private stakeholders, and other government agencies to discuss the many issues Singapore faces in its land transport policy. A number of innovative approaches aiming to engage citizens were used, including focussed group discussions, online feedback on the Talk2LTA portal, and the Great Transport Challenge 2020 e-game, from which the insights obtained by players were taken into consideration in the Masterplan. Projected Outcomes Thanks to its Intelligent Transport System, Singapore is one of the least congested major cities, with an average car speed on main roads of 27km/h (17 miles per hour), compared to an average speed of 16km/h in London, 11km/h in Tokyo, and 5km/h in Jakarta. This is an impressive feat considering that the population has more than doubled since 1990.
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Smart City AMSTERDAM > 36 projects across 5 areas: living, working, mobility, public facilities, and open data > Information about parking availability, taxi stands and cycle paths, and live traffic updates are available on main roads city-wide > The data has allowed developers to create apps to improve the flow of people across the capital > The municipality of Amsterdam experiments crowdsourcing on the platform AmsterdamOpent.nl platform > The ASC website allows neighbours and friends to safely rent their cars to each other.
Smart City BARCELONA > Smart lighting: projects to remotely control street level lighting in addition to transitioning 50 streets and a total of 1,155 lampposts to LED technology > Smart energy: from smart grid projects to self-sufficient blocks > Smart water: remote irrigation control for the city’s green spaces > Smart transportation: a new bus network based on an orthogonal grid scheme has emerged as the most efficient in urban systems, improving connectivity between the lines and accessibility for all users > Zero emissions mobility: electric charging stations, as well as electric vehicle fleets and car rentals
Veronika Vasilyuk/Shutterstock.com, mexrix/Shutterstock.com
The city has pioneered the introduction of a variety of technologies to the system, including one of the world’s first Electronic Road Pricing systems (ERP – tolls that vary according to traffic flows, and work as a congestion charge). The ERP uses a shortrange radio communication system to
deduct charges from smart cards inserted in the vehicles. Other Intelligent elements include an Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System, alerting motorists to traffic accidents on major roads and a GPS system installed on the city taxis, which monitors and reports on traffic conditions around the city. All information from the systems feed into the Intelligent Transport System’s Operations Control Centre, which consolidates the data and provides realtime traffic information to the public.
THE Citizen’s choice award
Our panel of judges selected the winners of the first 10 categories of The C40 & Siemens City Climate Leadership Awards, but the final Citizen’s Choice Award was selected by the public. The list of eligible projects and initiatives was made up of all entries that did not win a prize during September’s event. Through cityclimateleadershipawards.com, the general public could vote for the project they believed should have won an award for its innovation and environmental impact.
WINNER
Plan for Sustainable Mobility Buenos Aires, Argentina
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THE Citizen’s choice award
WINNER
Runners up
Buenos Aires, Argentina
> Amsterdam: Amsterdam
CHallenges: Buenos Aires has grappled with the problems of traffic congestion and transport-related air pollution, seeking to increase urban mobility through the provision of safe and affordable public and non-motorized transport solutions. Actions Buenos Aires’s Plan for Sustainable Mobility is an integrated effort involving a number of initiatives including: • Creation of the first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Argentina • Extension of the metro system • Adoption of articulated buses • Launch of the nation’s first bike-sharing programme (ECOBICI) and extension of bike paths • Vast expansion of pedestrian zones and widening of footpaths • Adoption of intelligent traffic management and information systems. A core part of the initiative is the extension of the BRT. The project involves three routes totalling 38km and passing through some of the city’s most congested streets. The first two corridors (Juan B. Justo and 9 de Julio) are already in operation and the remaining one was recently inaugurated. The city is also significantly increasing its cycle lanes and pedestrian zones. There are now 110km of new bicycle paths in the city centre. It launched a public bicycle rental system in 2010. With 800 bikes and 34 stations, the mayor has given the go-ahead to raise the number of bikes to 3,000, with some 200 stations. Work has also begun on an initiative to pedestrianize over 100
blocks of the city centre, which would make it one of the largest urban pedestrian zones in the world. Public engagement through active opinion polling, awareness campaigns and the launch of a dedicated educational website remain a key focus for the city, as is engagement with other C40 cities with similar challenges and objectives.
Smart City
> Bangkok: Climate Change Action Plan
> Barcelona: Barcelona Smart City
> Berlin: Energy Saving Partnerships > Berlin: Solar Roof Initiative > Buenos Aires: Plan for Sustainable Mobility
> Chicago: Chicago Infrastructure Trust
> Houston: 50% Renewable Power > Johannesburg: Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Projected Outcomes
> Lagos: Integrated Waste
The implementation of the plan is ongoing. So far, the introduction of BRT lines on key routes has cut travel times by 20 to 40 percent on average, although in some cases by 50 percent or more. The city estimates that the second phase of the BRT, a 3km stretch along the city’s busiest street, which became operational in July 2013, will reduce annual CO2 emissions by nearly 6,000 tonnes each year. A final, 22km phase should bring about a 20 percent reduction in fuel use.
> London: Clean Air Fund & Air
Meanwhile, adopting articulated buses on some routes has also led to a reduction in carbon consumption. The city has also set a goal to get at least 5 percent of commuters — roughly 300,000 people — to use bicycles, about six times 2010 levels. So far, take-up of the ECOBICI initiative is strong, with over 95,000 subscribers, and the planned expansion, together with new bike lanes, suggest it is moving in the right direction. The ambitious and comprehensive nature of Buenos Aires’ Plan for Sustainable Mobility, and the joined-up thinking behind it, make this initiative an inspiring example for other cities to follow.
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Management Plant Strategy
> London: Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy
> Los Angeles: San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan
> New York City: Greener, Greater Buildings Plan
> New York CITY: PlaNYC and GreeNYC
> Oslo: Integrated Waste Management System
> Paris: Autolib’ > Paris: Clichy-Batignolles > Rio de Janeiro: Porto Maravilha > São Paulo: Bandeirantes Landfill Gas-to-Energy Project
> Seoul: Hydrogen Fuel Cells > Shanghai: Offshore Wind Farms > Stockholm: Congestion Charge > Stockholm: Hammarby Sjöstad > Stockholm: Sustainable Järva
ENTER
City Climate Leadership Awards 2014 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
C40 Cities and Siemens launched the start of the 2014 Awards application process in December 2013. All C40 member cities are welcome to nominate their own climate change projects or initiatives across any of the ten core categories. In addition, those cities profiled within Siemens’ Green City Index reports are eligible to apply across five specific categories. For further details and guidance on how to apply, visit the City Climate Leadership Awards website.
www.cityclimateleadershipawards.com
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Publisher: Siemens – Centre of Competence Cities C40 Cities For the publisher: Stefan Denig: stefan.denig@siemens.com Editors: Dinka Karakasic, Siemens: dinka.karakasic@siemens.com Longitude Research Ava Zekri, C40: azekri@c40.org Brooke Russell, C40: Brussell@c40.org Michael Marinello, C40: mmarinello@c40.org Pictures: Shutterstock.com, 2013 Lucas Desimone Siemens AG photo database Layout: Longitude Research Graphics: MetaDesign
While every effort has been taken to verify the accuracy of this information, neither Siemens, C40 Cities nor its affiliates can accept any responsibility or liability for reliance by any person on this information. London, UK, November 2013
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