Land take and the sealing of soil with asphalt, concrete or buildings increased in Europe’s urban areas from 2012 to 2018, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment, published recently. Increasing land take and soil sealing make Europe’s ecosystems less resilient, with negative impacts on biodiversity and weaker potential for climate change adaptation. … Continue reading New EEA report on impact of land use changes on Europe’s urban areas
Category: urban policies
New EEA briefings: Europe not on track to reach 2030 targets for municipal waste recycling
The European Union (EU) circular economy action plan aims to halve the amount of municipal waste in the EU that is not recycled by 2030. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week, achieving this target requires both reducing waste generation and considerably increasing recycling, possibly even beyond the binding recycling target … Continue reading New EEA briefings: Europe not on track to reach 2030 targets for municipal waste recycling
Ranking the 12 most effective measures that European cities have introduced in recent decade
Kimberly Nicholas, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science at Lund University, in an article on The Conversation website, provides the results of latest research to provide evidence-based ways to reduce car use in cities. 12 best ways to get cars out of cities – ranked by new research Question: what do the following statistics have … Continue reading Ranking the 12 most effective measures that European cities have introduced in recent decade
The dream of the climate-neutral city, with very low to zero emissions, is within reach, say experts
Spewing most of the world's heat-trapping gases, fast-growing cities need to be transformed into clean, low emissions ecosystems in the struggle against climate breakdown. Stuart Braun writes on the Deutsche Welle website how cities can be a microcosm of successful climate mitigation. Cities are major polluters: Can we make them climate neutral? Around 85% … Continue reading The dream of the climate-neutral city, with very low to zero emissions, is within reach, say experts
Europe’s first heat officer to help her city deal with rising temperatures due to climate change helping heat-destroyed British Columbia community
Heat-destroyed Lytton, B.C., features at TED conference seeking political will to solve climate change. Eleni Myrivili, chief heat officer of Athens said she hopes heat events, like those in B.C. and in her country, will be the catalyst needed for meaningful change. Chad Pawson discusses the issues in an article on the CBC News website. … Continue reading Europe’s first heat officer to help her city deal with rising temperatures due to climate change helping heat-destroyed British Columbia community
New publication from OECD: Decarbonising Buildings in Cities and Regions
Accounting for nearly 40% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and sometimes up to 70% in large cities, buildings are central to the low-carbon transition. Decarbonising buildings, especially older stock, through energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy use not only reduces carbon emissions, but also generates co-benefits in health, energy affordability and the labour market. … Continue reading New publication from OECD: Decarbonising Buildings in Cities and Regions
New EEA briefing on inequalities in access to urban green and blue spaces across Europe
High-quality green and blue spaces in cities, like parks, allotments, riverbanks and coastlines, are crucial for health and well-being, in particular for the elderly, children and people on low incomes. However, a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week, shows that access is not equal. How green are European cities? Green space key … Continue reading New EEA briefing on inequalities in access to urban green and blue spaces across Europe
Real time monitoring of CO₂ and other gases is not only achievable but is something all cities should do
One of the biggest challenges for any city seeking to reach net zero is knowing exactly where its emissions are coming from. CO₂ is not routinely measured in real time by city authorities anywhere in the world; however, a pilot project in Glasgow shows it is achievable. Craig Michie, Professor of Electrical Engineering, at University … Continue reading Real time monitoring of CO₂ and other gases is not only achievable but is something all cities should do
New EEA reports on key role of cities in Europe’s transition to sustainability
Most Europeans live in cities and cities are Europe’s economic, cultural, and political hubs. Cities face environmental and climate challenges but also hold keys to realise Europe’s sustainability ambitions. Two new assessments on urban sustainability, published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today, combine several environment and climate themes, calling for better integration of policies … Continue reading New EEA reports on key role of cities in Europe’s transition to sustainability
“It’s impossible to solve our affordable housing crisis, our climate emergency, and people’s desire for improved quality of life against racism and disinvestment into separate silos.”
Adam Mahoney writes on the National Observer website (although article originally published on Grist) that the main problem driving the so-called “heat-island effect” is tall buildings. But there are solutions as the author explains. Tall buildings: A boon for housing, a bane for the climate crisis In the summer of 1995, Chicago experienced one … Continue reading “It’s impossible to solve our affordable housing crisis, our climate emergency, and people’s desire for improved quality of life against racism and disinvestment into separate silos.”
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 