Council Associate Partner Siemens and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group announced 31 finalist projects from 26 cities for its climate awards program. The global prize competition recognizes innovative city climate actions in 10 categories ranging from urban transportation to economic development. The finalists are:
- Africa: Johannesburg
- Asia & Oceania: Changwon, Dhaka, Jakarta, Melbourne, Seoul, Shenzhen, Taipei, Yokohama
- Europe: Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Malmö, Milan, Oslo, Stockholm, Vienna
- Latin America: Buenos Aires, Mexico City
- North America: Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver,
Washington DC
Here are a few project highlights from the awards site, where you can read about all 31 projects in detail:
- Buenos Aires solid urban waste reduction project: Major environmental goals for this project include treating 100% of waste prior to being sent to landfills, and reducing overall waste sent to landfills by 83% by 2017.
- Melbourne urban landscapes climate adaptation program: By increasing green space to 7.6% of municipal space and doubling the tree canopy, Melbourne is aiming to reduce drought vulnerability and cool the city by 4°C.
- Milan Area C traffic restricted zone: Milan’s traffic-restricted zone has seen a 28% decrease in congestion, 49% decrease in polluting vehicles, and increase in cleaner vehicles to 16.6% of total traffic.
- Shenzen carbon trading market: Shenzhen’s Carbon Trading Market deals with 40% of the city’s total carbon emissions. The city projects a 30% reduction in carbon intensity by 2015.
An independent, seven-member judging panel consisting of former city mayors, architects, representatives of the World Bank, as well as C40 and Siemens will select the 10 winners that will be announced at an awards event in New York City in September.
