Environment

Portland, OR city employees to pilot e-cargo bikes

This will be Saris Infrastructure's second pilot of its battery-electric, pedal-assist cargo bike, following a recent fleet test in Madison, WI.

By Katie Pyzyk • Nov. 30, 2020

Migration to wildfire-prone areas continues despite risk: study

Wildfires are expected to burn 9.3 million acres of the U.S. annually by 2050 as many vulnerable areas are also seeing population growth.

By Cailin Crowe • Nov. 23, 2020

LA pilots Google tree canopy tech

The Tree Canopy Lab technology combines AI and aerial images to assess tree cover density in an effort to measure and track environmental data.

By Katie Pyzyk • Nov. 23, 2020

Opinion

Cities are cutting emissions with an unlikely aid: concrete

Cutting emissions from concrete in public infrastructure projects is an under-utilized and low-cost policy option that governments can readily pursue.

By Eric Dunford • Nov. 23, 2020

Deep Dive

Wildfires pushed PG&E into bankruptcy. Should other utilities be worried?

Catastrophic wildfires, which can lead to billions of dollars in damages, present a unique financial risk that the utility sector will want to get ahead of.

By Kavya Balaraman • Nov. 20, 2020

Climate progress in 6 sectors too slow to limit global warming: report

The World Resources Institute and ClimateWorks said efforts to bolster electrification and renewable energy must accelerate, while deforestation and agricultural production raised red flags.

By Chris Teale • Nov. 19, 2020

25 US cities land on CDP 2020 'A List'

Despite the unprecedented obstacles of COVID-19, CDP identified 88 global cities that have continued to make progress on climate action, with 34% of those cities new to the list this year.

By Kristin Musulin • Nov. 16, 2020

Mayors unveil $60B plan to support Midwest energy transition

The Marshall Plan for Middle America aims to address the Ohio Valley region's projected 100,000 job losses triggered by a shift away from fossil fuels.

By Chris Teale • Nov. 16, 2020

Sponsored by Covanta Environmental Solutions

Lifecycle thinking: Helping businesses find the rewards in recycling

How can businesses move forward in today's global waste market? Start with lifecycle thinking.

Mass timber reaches for new heights to unlock zero-carbon cities

Design firms are tapping mass timber to illustrate how eco-friendly material can be used to support a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

By Cailin Crowe • Nov. 04, 2020

Sponsored by Geotab

Smarter waste management is one piece of the smart city puzzle

Bringing solid waste operations to the future with automated processes in Spokane, WA.

How the 2020 election could impact the waste and recycling industry

The outcome could affect major issues like climate change, PFAS, taxes, M&A, recycling policies and more. 

By E.A. Crunden • Nov. 02, 2020

NYC strengthens Climate Mobilization Act building requirements

Buildings with less than 35% of units under rent regulation will be required to comply with the act's emissions limits and not pass the costs to tenants, following a Thursday city council vote.

By Chris Teale • Oct. 30, 2020

Green stimulus could create $280B in economic benefits: C40

The C40 Global Mayors Recovery Task Force said investing relief money in solutions to fight climate change could prevent 270,000 premature deaths globally and create over 6 million jobs in the U.S. alone.

By Chris Teale • Oct. 28, 2020

10 statewide ballot measures to watch: results

Of the 10 ballot initiatives identified last week as "measures to watch," only one — a rent control initiative in California — failed at the polls.

By Kristin Musulin , Chris Teale , Cailin Crowe • UPDATED: Nov. 4, 2020 at 4:47 p.m.

Deep Dive

Ballot billions: Behind the efforts to fund and finance climate action

In a year that virtually depleted municipal budgets, ballot-derived tax and funding measures can be crucial to support city-level climate action. Outside of these measures, how else can cities secure cash?

By Kristin Musulin , Chris Teale , Cailin Crowe • Oct. 27, 2020

Cities' GHG emissions reduction efforts, by the numbers

A new Brookings report assessed the nation's many climate action plans to check if cities are meeting their emissions reduction commitments.

By Kristin Musulin • Oct. 23, 2020

Lime, WWF partner to promote clean transportation

The micromobility giant and conservation leader will run joint education and advocacy campaigns in a bid to enhance mobility options and safer streets.

By Chris Teale • Oct. 22, 2020

Sponsored by #forestproud

A climate solution hidden in plain sight

Hillsboro, OR opened the doors to a new community center this month that provides both critical infrastructure and a powerful climate solution.

Albuquerque, NM breaks ground on 50 MW solar field on tribal lands

The array, through a partnership with utility PNM and the Jicarilla Apache Nation, will help the city get 88% of its electricity from renewable energy by the end of 2021.

By Chris Teale • Oct. 16, 2020

Weaving earthquake risk into city resiliency plans

All U.S. communities, even those outside California, should consider earthquakes when planning and building infrastructure, said UCLA professor Scott Brandenberg.

By Adina Solomon • UPDATED: Dec. 2, 2020 at 12:20 p.m.

Hyundai, UNDP launch 'for Tomorrow' campaign to support sustainable cities

The inaugural platform will crowdsource innovations to help achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, which focuses on building safe, resilient and sustainable cities. 

By Kristin Musulin • Oct. 09, 2020

Elected officials urge automakers to support cleaner cars

The Clean Cars Declaration, signed by more than 200 elected officials, called on manufacturers to drop their support for the Trump administration’s rollback of clean car standards.

By Chris Teale • Oct. 08, 2020

Reloop looks to shake up circular economy policy progress

Elizabeth Balkan, formerly of the Natural Resources Defense Council and New York's Department of Sanitation, is leading the global platform's effort to support changes around packaging and recycling at all levels of government.

By Cole Rosengren • Oct. 08, 2020

NYC 'leapfrogs' to top of ACEEE clean energy scorecard

While many leading U.S. cities are boosting their efforts to achieve a clean energy future, more action will be needed from "lower-ranking" cities to truly move the needle nationally.

By Kristin Musulin • Oct. 06, 2020