Being environmentally conscious can be challenging. Everyone creates a carbon footprint that, in a city, eventually adds up. To combat this, cities are becoming more environmentally aware. There are many things that cities can do to be more eco-friendly. Here are a few cities that use different methods to make their citizens environmentally conscious.
1. Singapore
Singapore, Singapore, one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world, is working towards an eco-friendly and sustainable future. To become the most eco-friendly city in Asia, Singapore is focusing on sustainable building. Trees cover the buildings, and parks are common within the city. By 2030, Singapore aims to have over three-quarters of its buildings to be eco-friendly.
2. Copenhagen
Although Singapore is working towards being eco-friendly, Copenhagen is already there. Found in Denmark, Copenhagen is the most eco-friendly city in the world. It focuses on creating a carbon dioxide-neutral city. The main improvement in the city is increasing bike lanes and decreasing the need for cars. Food is also grown differently in Copenhagen. Organic produce is not only encouraged but makes up 88% of the food served in public spaces. This means that people are consuming more organic produce than in any other city in the world.
3. Amsterdam
Another very eco-friendly city is Amsterdam. As one of the first cities in the world to create a sustainability plan, Amsterdam is working towards a sustainable future. Their biggest goal is to reduce their use of vehicle emissions. Because of this, electric vehicles and bikes are popular methods of transportation throughout Amsterdam. Amsterdam is focusing on more than just transportation. Creating homes that are environmentally conscious is the main focus. Using solar panels and buying or growing food locally is common and encouraged by the government. This makes being eco-friendly a much easier thing to do.
4. Portland
The United States isn’t known for being very environmentally conscious. Yet, some cities are trying to change that. Portland, Oregon, is making its citizens aware of environmentally friendly options and making it easier for citizens to access these options. In Portland, there are over 250 miles of bike paths. This makes biking a popular mode of transportation, used by 8% of the city’s citizens. This number may not seem like a lot, but it is growing. Bikes aren’t the only thing Portland is doing. Portland recovers over half of its waste. This is amazing considering the size of this city (over 650,000 people). Portland is also above the national average in renewable energy use and has banned plastic bags. These environmentally conscious decisions make Portland, Oregon, the most eco-friendly city in the United States.
5. Cape Town
Africa is also home to an environmentally conscious city. Cape Town, South Africa, is one of the most eco-friendly places in Africa. This is due to their continuous search for new eco-friendly technology. Cape Town was one of the first places to use wind farms. This pushed the city to create a goal to get 10% of its energy from renewable sources. In addition to renewable energy, Cape Town is making it easier for its citizens to have access to bikes. This directly helps lower the carbon footprint of Cape Town.
6. Vancouver
Within North America, Portland may be environmentally conscious now, but Vancouver, Canada, has the most potential. Vancouver has created realistic goals for becoming the greenest city in the world. By creating the Greenest City Action Plan, Vancouver focused on creating green jobs, locally produced food, and new eco-friendly or sustainable technology such as internet of things agriculture. In the coming years, Vancouver is set up to become the most environmentally conscious city in the world.
Being eco-friendly can be challenging. If cities aren’t properly set up, choosing environmentally friendly options is almost impossible. Yet, as cities and countries become more conscious of their environmental impact, the accessibility of eco-friendly options will increase. Until then, many cities are focusing on making small changes hoping to one day make a bigger impact.
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