CITIES

Cities can exert an infl uence reducing climate impacts in at least two ways. They are responsible for making sure that in their own administration and activities (their governance role) they are moving towards climate-neutrality as fast as they can. They also infl uence their citizens’ and other actors’ behaviour, for example industry and transport. This is their role as players in the community. So they can motivate others and enlist them to take part in reducing emissions.

There is plenty individual cities can do to work towards climate neutrality. Just like companies, they can make sure their procurement policies are helping. Where public procurement is concerned, city administrations are big buyers of materials and equipment: paper, computers, furniture, vehicle fleets (not only cars and buses but waste collection vehicles, ambulances, fire engines and so forth).

They are also responsible for equipping public buildings and spaces. Here they can be careful always to apply climate-friendly criteria, for example when it comes to material choices and energy demand. Cities can also make sure their procurement policies specify the use of organic and local food and drinks in cafeterias, schools, city-run operas and theatres, and every other institution for which they are responsible.

Walking the talk

The Swedish city of Växjö – one of the founder members of UNEP’s Climate Neutral Network – proclaims itself the Greenest City in Europe. Its CO2 emissions fell by 30 per cent per capita between 1993 and 2006. In absolute terms, every citizen of Växjö contributes 3.2 tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere, far below the European (EU25 in 2000) average of around 8.5 tonnes per person. The city has achieved this result largely by virtue of the large share of biomass used for heating. Nearly 90 per cent of Växjö’s heating comes from renewable sources. Most current emissions come from transport, but this sector has also seen a decrease lately, thanks to increasing numbers of environment-friendly vehicles and greater use of biofuel.

Another innovator is the Dutch city of The Hague, which uses seawater to heat houses. The system extracts seawater and then processes it via either

116 KICK THE HABIT THE CYCLE – REDUCE