On July 1, Agora Verkehrswende officially went into business. A sister organization of Agora Energiewende, a think tank for Germany’s energy transition, Verkehrswende will focus (as the German name indicates) on the transport transition. If the organization truly pursues environmental policy, it will fill a gap. If it mainly concerns itself with industrial policy, it will be redundant. Craig Morris explores the possibilities.
All posts tagged: Green Cities
WANTED: Champions for a cleaner, greener city
Solar water heaters, or biofuel-powered public buses, or any other low-carbon solution isn’t going to install itself or switch itself on. Without visionary thinkers to champion the cause, without people to plan for business-unusual and craft the regulations that’ll make it easier to implement, Southern Africa’s cities won’t evolve into the energy-smart, carbon-friendly engine rooms that they must become, writes Leonie Joubert.
Cities, don’t just minimise energy use. Challenge it!
Cities can’t just consume resources, they also have to contribute to producing and restoring the resources. Fortunately, there are some examples showing that cities actually realise the need for a shift and have developed strategies and programs. Irene Garcia has looked at some of these cities.
Can Mexico build a more energy-efficient urban transport through Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems?
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have been widely hailed as innovative solutions for growing urban agglomerations around the world. Lillian Sol Cueva argues that their introduction helped to ameliorate pressing issues of congestion and harmful emissions in Mexico. But for the systems to be truly successful, a holistic approach towards public transportation is necessary.
Greening the transport sector – A view from South Africa
A former mayor of Bogota famously said that a developed country isn’t one where poor people own cars, it’s one where rich people use public transport. According to local experts, greening up the transport sector in South Africa should focus on efficient, affordable public transport, rather than rolling out privately-owned electric vehicles, writes Leonie Joubert.
100% renewable energy – Embracing the “exponential growth of solutions”
While we keep burning harmful fossil fuels on an unimaginable scale, there’s also a number of good news: A growing number of communities around the world set themselves a goal of 100% renewables. What we need most are thus visionaries and political will, argues Stefan Schurig.
Zürich on the path to a 2,000-Watt Society
The City of Zürich’s Environmental Department says that the town is moving further away from the target it adopted in 2008 in a referendum.
Re-Municipalization in Boulder and Hamburg: Similarities and Differences
Both Boulder and Hamburg are remunicipalizing their grid. What do the two cases have in common? How far did the specific national context help or impede the efforts to buy back the grid? In the final part of our series, Charleen Fei and Ian Rinehart compare the two cities and the conditions for their success.
The Re-Municipalization of the Hamburg Grid
In a successful referendum, Hamburg’s voters forced the city to buy back the grid last year. Charleen Fei and Ian Rinehart summarize how a broad and inclusive campaign driven by the civil society made this historic event possible.
The Fight for the Grid in Boulder
In a historic vote, Boulder, Colorado, remunicipalized its energy provider. Charleen Fei and Ian Rinehart explain whether this is part of a broader trend and what differentiates Boulder from other American cities fighting for control over municipal utilities.