Environment
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Denver seeking diverse community leaders for Climate Action Task Force
The group, which will include 20-24 community members, will be tasked with developing an updated climate work plan through an equity lens.
By Jason Plautz • Nov. 13, 2019 -
DC is eyeing an ambitious zero waste bill
The bill aims to help the city reach "zero waste" by 2032 through new compost requirements and recycling programs for sharps and batteries.
By E.A. Crunden • Nov. 12, 2019 -
5 strategic shifts that are making cities smarter: report
ABI Research identified the many ways cities are becoming more advanced and efficient, ranging from digital twins to smart spaces.
By Katie Pyzyk • Nov. 11, 2019 -
What will your city's climate feel like in 2080?
At current emissions rates, New York summers are projected to feel nearly 10 degrees warmer. Learn how 10 city climates are projected to feel in 60 years.
By Cailin Crowe • Nov. 11, 2019 -
Los Angeles creates street tree inventory, kicks off planting season
The inventory will allow the city's Bureau of Street Services to collect better data and identify trends while determining the best practices for tree planting.
By Katie Pyzyk • Nov. 05, 2019 -
Deep DiveAre climate emergency declarations the new normal?
As cities wrestle with the urgent need to deal with the climate crisis, advocates say the declarations could be "coming to your city as a demand soon."
By Chris Teale • Nov. 04, 2019 -
Deep DiveWhat cities can learn from Phoenix's circular economy experiments
Home to a unique waste-to-product incubator, the fast-growing Arizona city has embarked on multiple new ventures in recent years.
By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 04, 2019 -
Chicago to create tree canopy inventory following critical audit
The city's Office of Inspector General recommends maintaining the canopy on a grid-based approach, which was used prior to the advent of 311 in 1999.
By Katie Pyzyk • Nov. 01, 2019 -
Report: Sea level rise to affect 3x more people than anticipated
Most of New Orleans and large portions of New York would be underwater or prone to frequent, severe flooding by 2050.
By Katie Pyzyk • Oct. 31, 2019 -
LA cooling initiative built for city's hottest, most vulnerable neighborhoods
The program, part of the city's Green New Deal, addresses the effects of climate change in vulnerable neighborhoods with measures like shade structures and cool pavement.
By Katie Pyzyk • Oct. 25, 2019 -
Air pollution falls by a third inside London's congestion zone
The six-month Ultra Low Emission Zone status report puts the city ahead of schedule to meet its 45% traffic emission reduction goal.
By Jason Plautz • Oct. 23, 2019 -
Few cities considering long-term risks of climate change, report says
More than 500 global cities self-report experiencing the effects of climate change, but few have prepared adequate action plans.
By Katie Pyzyk • Oct. 23, 2019 -
Hanging with the Lab Rats: NREL researchers lay groundwork to accelerate US clean energy transition
The DOE lab is examining the impacts of "turbulence" on wind turbines as well as how to integrate battery storage systems and hydrogen alongside electric vehicle technologies.
By Gloria Gonzalez • Oct. 23, 2019 -
Q&A'We're feeling the heat': How a Tucson, AZ mayoral candidate plans to tackle climate change
Democratic nominee Regina Romero could be the city's first Latina and woman mayor, and aims to mitigate climate change's mounting effects on the city.
By Cailin Crowe • Oct. 21, 2019 -
These 3 circular economy principles can help combat the climate crisis
Transitioning to a circular economy will take "concerted action from multiple stakeholders," according to a report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Material Economics.
By Andrew Urevig • Oct. 17, 2019 -
Bloomberg Philanthropies, C40 Cities honor 7 climate change projects
San Francisco was the only U.S. winner for its CleanPowerSF renewable energy program, and London was recognized for its ultra-low emission zone.
By Jason Plautz • Oct. 11, 2019 -
Mayors announce Global Green New Deal at C40 Summit
A coalition of 94 mayors showed support of the deal, intended to encourage emissions reduction in the transportation, buildings, industry and waste sectors.
By Cailin Crowe • Oct. 10, 2019 -
Boston to require carbon neutral design for new city buildings
The city's updated Climate Action Plan calls for decarbonizing large buildings, which could cut citywide emissions nearly 40% by 2050.
By Jason Plautz • Oct. 09, 2019 -
Report: NYC to develop climate research lab on Governors Island
The plan, which is still in its early stages, could zone up to 4.2 million square feet on the southern half of the island for climate change research.
By Jason Plautz • Oct. 08, 2019 -
Deep Dive2019 mayoral elections: How 'smart' are the candidates' platforms?
The Nov. 5 election results include the defeat of the Wichita, KS incumbent and the election of the first Latina woman mayor in Tucson, AZ.
By Cailin Crowe, Kira Barrett, Kristin Musulin • UPDATED: Nov. 6, 2019 at 10:34 a.m. -
ACEEE: Massachusetts leads on energy efficiency for 9th consecutive year
The council pegs efficiency-related employment as one of the largest subsets in the energy sector, accounting for more than 2.3 million jobs in 2018.
By Robert Walton • Oct. 02, 2019 -
NYC picks 9 buildings for 'deep energy retrofits'
The retrofits follow the passage of the Climate Mobilization Act, which set a goal to reduce government operation emissions 50% by 2030.
By Jason Plautz • Oct. 02, 2019 -
Pittsburgh launches center of excellence for high-performance buildings
The city is the second in the world to join the UN program and will work to reduce the effects of climate change through sustainable building design.
By Katie Pyzyk • Sept. 30, 2019 -
Finance group renews commitment to city-level climate action
Funding from the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance could be crucial to push climate and infrastructure projects as governments struggle with up-front investments.
By Chris Teale • Sept. 27, 2019 -
Uber, EVgo partner to expand ride-share electrification
The companies signed an MOU to research use of EVs on the platform and assess where more charging infrastructure is needed.
By Jason Plautz • Sept. 27, 2019
