This research demonstrates Daring Cities which is a global, action-oriented virtual forum, designed by ICLEI and the city of Bonn, to empower urban leaders to tackle the climate crisis, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This report introduces a new concept — Whole-System Zero-Emissions Demonstration (WS-ZED). The WS-ZED concept goes one step further than net-zero carbon and proposes a broader concept to reveal the added value of synergy among net-zero carbon, net-zero waste, and net-zero pollution. This new concept aims to resolve these growth challenges by adopting a holistic approach to put in place urban management policies to combat both climate change and environmental degradation.
For a few weeks in March and April 2020, the COVID-19 lockdown brought about an unexpected side effect: dramatically cleaner air and endless vistas unlike anything cities have experienced in living memory. As 2020 progressed, the pandemic, the economic downturn, and a growing reckoning with racial injustice in the United States converged to place economic, social, and public health strains on local governments. Efforts are now underway by these governments to help their communities recover. As they do so, there is an opportunity to implement local changes that can deliver multiple community benefits while also helping to accelerate recoveries. There is an opportunity to build back better.
Air quality and equity are highly interconnected issues. And there are actions cities can take to help address them both simultaneously.
Embracing green growth in cities is one urgent priority for addressing the environment and climate emergency. In this report, GGGI address some of the challenges and opportunities in achieving green growth in cities.
This report offers ideas across six sectors, highlighting city success stories for each : Access and mobility, Buildings, Power, Broadband, Water, and Natural Systems.