Showing urban leadership – part 1

Many US cities are working very closely together to increase the energy performance of large buildings. Sarah Kollmorgen writes on Northwestern University’s Madill Reports website about the City Energy Project that includes Chicago from where she is writing from. 10 cities, one energy-efficient goal Chicago is one of 10 cities that have joined the … Continue reading Showing urban leadership – part 1 →

Why it is difficult to get cities to focus on energy efficiency

We know implementing energy efficiency strategies is complicated and we also know the benefits that can come from effective implementation. We usually review the main barriers hindering progress before embarking on new measures to ensure those chosen target the problems and achieve greater impact. Thomas Jackson, Vice President Corporate Strategy at Climatec provides an excellent … Continue reading Why it is difficult to get cities to focus on energy efficiency →

China looking to energy efficiency to address urban air quality problems

China is facing pollution challenges today similar to what Los Angeles faced during the 1980s, a problem that energy efficiency helped mitigate. In China, combining cleaner heating fuels with better-insulated buildings is one concrete measure that would support cleaner skies in northern China and beyond, Clay Stranger writes in the Christian Science Monitor. China smog: … Continue reading China looking to energy efficiency to address urban air quality problems →

A green urban network being planned in Hamburg

The German city of Hamburg is planning a green network that will cover 40% of the city area, contributing to resilience and allowing biking, swimming and nature watching in the city. Elisabeth Braw provides a good overview of the plans in the Guardian. Hamburg's answer to climate change Hamburg is planning a green network that … Continue reading A green urban network being planned in Hamburg →

Shared cycling gaining popularity globally

The Economist recently provided an excellent article on recent developments to promote bike-sharing in cities. It is particularly impressive to see the new developments coming to Copenhagen but, really, there are so many excellent examples – and even one in EiD’s neighbourhood. Bike-sharing - Sharing two wheels is becoming ever more popular In … Continue reading Shared cycling gaining popularity globally →

Measuring up residential buildings in New York

New York City has been a leader in improving the energy performance of its buildings and now it is publishing data to compare residential buildings. This article by Mireya Navarro in the New York Times explains what appears to be one of the important legacies of Mayor Bloomberg’s time in office. A Fresh Set of … Continue reading Measuring up residential buildings in New York →

Vulnerability to climate change is not only in developing countries

John Broder explains in the New York Times about some of the breakdowns that can be expected in the energy system as a result of the impact of changing climate. Climate Change Will Cause More Energy Breakdowns, U.S. Warns The nation’s entire energy system is vulnerable to increasingly severe and costly weather events driven … Continue reading Vulnerability to climate change is not only in developing countries →

How Europe is making the transition to green urban transportation

Erica Gies writes in the New York Times about efforts in Europe to integrate the old with the new to develop a much greener approach to urban transit. Examples are given from Austria, France and Germany. In Europe, Greener Transit on Existing Infrastructure Vienna is employing some old-fashioned technology to run shiny new electric buses … Continue reading How Europe is making the transition to green urban transportation →

The health and wealth of cities

Tim Smedley writes in the Guardian about a new report by the Carbon Disclosure Project that discusses the positive impact of climate change on cities. It will be interesting to see how this is received by the environmental community. Is climate change making cities wealthier and healthier? A new report on climate change action … Continue reading The health and wealth of cities →

Australia promotes energy efficiency in apartments

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group has announced a new innovative programme in Australia called Smart Blocks in Australia help improve the energy performance of apartment buildings. New national program aims to enhance energy efficiency of Australian apartment buildings This month, an innovative new program, Smart Blocks, was launched in two Australian C40 cities, Melbourne … Continue reading Australia promotes energy efficiency in apartments →