But this change didn’t come about overnight. In fact, Copenhagen used to be just like any other city – polluted and fully dependent on fossil fuels. But when the 1973 Oil Crisis happened, its leaders sought to change the city’s environmental policies.

What happened next was a total transformation, turning Copenhagen into a sustainable city that decreased its water and energy consumption without sacrificing economic growth. As a result, Copenhagen has become the holy grail for urban planners and policy makers – proof that a vibrant green economy is possible and sustainable.

For the latest in our ‘Green City Goals’ series, let’s take a look at eight initiatives Copenhagen has undertaken to become the world’s greenest city.

See also: 10 Most Eco-Friendly Cities in the World

BIKES > EVs

Another misconception to clear up: while the Netherlands is the country with the most cyclists per capita, the city with the greatest number of cyclists is Copenhagen! 62 percent of Copenhageners commute to work or school using the 675,000 bicycles in the city. By 2050, it is estimated that half of all journeys across Copenhagen will be made on a bike.

While Copenhagen does view electric vehicles as another viable solution for transportation, the government has chosen to focus on bicycles by prioritising funding of the city’s cycling infrastructure.

CHARGING UP

That doesn’t mean that they’ve totally forgotten about cars though! In fact, Copenhagen is heavily investing in electric and hydrogen-powered cars too, with the local government aiming for 85 percent of the city’s fleet to comprise of these green vehicles.

It’s not the government alone that’s enamoured with EVs; residents have been making the change as well, with sales of EVs doubling in 2020 alone. To further encourage ownership of EVs or hybrids, the city is aiming that by 2025, a charging point will be available no more than 250m away from any multistorey building, guaranteeing charging accessibility throughout Copenhagen.

DECARBONISATION THROUGH RENEWABLES

With its green credentials, it’s no surprise that Copenhagen is a leading proponent of renewable energy. With the city mainly powered by wind and solar energy, its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2025 is firmly on track.

But the city also generates power from another renewable source – biomass. The city uses discarded wood, straw and refuse, along with human and animal waste to produce heat, electricity and biofuel.  As an example, Copenhagen’s CopenHill power plant turns waste to energy, generating up to 57MW of electricity and 190MW of heat for tens of thousands of homes and businesses.

OUTSIDE-THE-BOX THINKING

In addition to being one of the symbols of Copenhagen’s green initiatives, CopenHill is also notable for another thing – it’s an activity destination for adrenaline junkies, with a year-round artificial ski slope, hiking slope and climbing wall. This outside-the-box thinking proves that public infrastructure need not be only for a single purpose; a little daring and imagination can change the landscape and add to the city’s urban design.

And if those weren’t enough accolades for CopenHill, its cutting-edge filtration technology means that it produces more clean water than it uses!

CAPTURING HEAT AND COLD

Copenhagen has also invested in the efficient distribution of energy throughout its network – meaning that heat, which is otherwise dissipated when generating electricity, is captured and re-used through redistribution. Meanwhile, chilled water is partly cooled through the use of cold seawater, reducing demand on the electricity grid.

BIG DATA, GREEN DATA

But what truly sets Copenhagen apart is its use of data, thanks to the city’s extensive and sophisticated network of sensors that monitor energy and water consumption. This means more resources can be allocated towards generation when necessary and adjusted to minimise waste, reducing carbon emissions.

The use of water is another particular focus. Acoustic leak sensors, intelligent valves and pumps, smart water meters and software modelling have all been implemented to create an efficient water management system.

INNOVATING WASTE COLLECTION

As part of its mission to be a carbon neutral city, Copenhagen has taken a leading position in circular economics too. It has mounted an aggressive campaign for residents to separate their rubbish, as well as recycle and reuse products – which the city hopes will lead to a reduction of 59,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.

What’s even more interesting is the way Copenhagen manages waste; it is pilot-testing a robotics-based facility to sort plastic. The city also currently uses waste trucks that run on biogas, but these will soon be replaced with autonomous vehicles and small EVs – reducing noise and carbon emissions.

THE OVAL GARDENS OF COPENHAGEN

“Urban garden” has become a trendy phrase in this age of sustainability – and whether its vertical farming, rooftop gardens or hydroponic systems, every city seems to have some kind of urban garden in their green strategy. But Copenhagen has another type of garden in its arsenal – one that dates back to 1948.

In the suburban district of Naerum, you’ll find 40 plots of land designed by famed landscape artist Søren Carl Theodor Marius Sørensen. Known as one of the world’s most visually appealing allotment gardens, these ‘Oval Gardens’ are meant to not only add to the overall aesthetic of the district, but also to impress upon owners the importance of nature and greenery.

See also: All Green City Goals articles

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However, this hasn’t stopped the city from pursuing a better, greener future. Over the past 40 years, Mumbai has experienced a 0.25°C temperature increase every decade; this, together with the near-annual devastating floods that the city experiences, has provided leaders the impetus to tackle climate change.

The result? The Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP) – a 30-year roadmap that lays out short-, middle- and long-term climate goals for the city to mitigate the impact of climate change and secure its future.

There is a lot riding on the success of the MCAP. Not only is this a long overdue step in the right direction for the city, but it will also serve as a template for other cities in a similar position to Mumbai. If they can do it, then it’s proof that ‘sustainability’ is not just a first-world buzzword but is in fact, something tangible and achievable by all. We take a look at seven ways Mumbai is working on becoming more sustainable.

See also: 8 Cool Sustainability Initiatives In Paris

FLOOD CONTROL WATER TANKS

The most immediate problem that city planners must solve is Mumbai’s annual flooding. While climate change has shrunk the city’s annual monsoon period from 120 to 70 days, the volume of rain has increased – and it’s often accompanied by gusty winds that contribute to further damage. To mitigate this, Mumbai has installed underground water pumps designed to siphon excess water and store it in massive underground silos. It has constructed three of these structures, creating a capacity of over 26 million litres.

Conservationists are also constructing 6,000 ‘rainwater harvesting pits’ in municipal gardens. They hope that these structures – which hold up to 5,000 litres – will prove popular enough for residents to install them in their neighbourhoods.

CLEANING UP

While Mumbai is India’s wealthiest city and home to the country’s highest number of millionaires and billionaires, it is also home to the country’s poorest population. In fact, over 40 percent of Mumbai’s population live in slums with little to no access to proper sanitation.

This simple but critical problem led Hindustan Unilever to establish hygiene and sanitation community centres around the city, with six open so far. They function as oases to slum dwellers – providing them with access to potable water, functioning toilets and laundry facilities, moving them away from using the city’s waterways for these activities.

ELECTRIFIED TUK-TUKS

Transport is another key focus, with plans to electrify Mumbai’s extensive urban transport network – including its cars, motorcycles, tuk-tuks and buses – to cut emissions and pollution. Authorities are targeting that by 2025, 10 percent of all registered new vehicles will be electric.

Mumbai’s state bus corporation will also put more than 2,000 electric buses on the road by 2023, as it begins a programme to convert 15 percent of its fleet to electric. The government is also encouraging residents to make the switch to EVs by implementing tax concessions and creating more charging stations.

SWAPPING COAL FOR THE SUN

However, the success of Mumbai’s EV programme hinges on the city being able to switch to more renewable energy sources. Currently, its entire grid is almost wholly powered by coal, which would make any EV programme expensive and unsustainable. Authorities are thus betting heavily on solar power; only green power projects will be approved going forwards, with a heavy focus on solar energy.

By 2026, Mumbai aims to generate over 17 gigawatts of electricity from the sun, helping the city meet its target of 35 percent of energy consumption coming from renewables. Buildings will be a focus for the increased installation of solar power sources, as they make up most of the city’s energy emissions.

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

Mumbai generates over 10,000 tonnes of waste daily that is delivered to landfills with little to no separation or processing, thereby further aggravating methane emissions. The city is aiming to cut its waste emissions by 10 percent via a zero-landfill waste management plan and planting urban forests.

While this is laudable, civic groups have also taken it upon themselves to accelerate this zero-waste strategy. Startups like Mumbai-based Skrap have been busy educating other businesses and organisations by preaching the gospel of ‘zero waste’. They also hold waste-free events with corporate partners to demonstrate simple, innovative ways to be eco-friendly and alleviate waste disposal.

PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR REGREENING

One of the most striking things about Mumbai’s current situation is its lack of green cover. Over the past 30 years, Mumbai’s development has sacrificed urban greenery, losing as much as 42.5 percent of its green cover to public and private infrastructure projects.

To reverse this, over 400,000 trees have been planted through volunteering efforts – and to advance this further, the city is borrowing the Miyawaki Method of cramming more trees into small corners to restore greenery. While this method alone won’t reverse decades of deforestation, it’s a positive step: between 2011 and 2021, Mumbai has recorded a 9 percent increase in forest cover.

SHOW ME THE MONEY

All these plans – while well and good – will require funding. Mumbai is fortunate enough to be India’s wealthiest city with access to a $6 billion annual budget. As the home to India’s wealthiest individuals and families, the possibility of privately funded initiatives is also more likely.

To further backstop this access to investment, the government has been raising funds through ‘green bonds’ that are geared towards climate mitigation projects. Since 2015, India has so far raised over $9.6 billion locally and overseas.

See also: 10 Most Eco-Friendly Cities in the World

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It’s all but natural for the city to lead the sustainability movement. Paris is, after all, the home of the Paris Agreement from the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) that prescribed 1.5°C as the limit for global temperature increase to prevent severe climate change effects.

In our latest series called Green City Goals, we take a look at different cities around the world and how we can all learn from their sustainable initiatives, starting with Paris.

THE 15-MINUTE CITY

Central to Paris’ sustainability efforts is the realisation of the ’15-minute city’. This concept aims to promote the idea of “hyperproximity” where the basic essentials – public transport, shops, schools, etc – are all within 15 minutes from a Parisian home. Doing this not only strengthens the local (read: neighbourhood) economy but also reduces carbon emissions by encouraging walking or biking instead of driving.

See also: Take a walk on the wild side

THE NEW AMSTERDAM

Speaking of biking, we’re familiar with the stereotype of a Parisian on a bike, wearing a beret and carrying a baguette. Well, get ready to see more of this in the near future (beret and baguette, optional). City authorities cleverly took advantage of the reduced public commuting during the COVID-19 pandemic to build over 60km (out of a 180km target) of bike lanes to add to the city’s already extensive bike lane network.

By 2026, Paris aims to be 100% cyclable with over 180,000 bike parking spaces. This program is important as Paris has passed a resolution to ban diesel cars by 2024 and all petrol cars by 2030.

BRAND NEW LUNGS

Plans are also afoot to literally green the city. Urban planners will be creating ‘urban forests’ next to landmarks such as the Gare de Lyon and Opera Garnier to add more ‘lungs’ in an increasingly congested city. More than 170,000 trees are targeted to be planted by 2030 and this is further being encouraged by updating building codes to make it easier for residents to plant trees in their neighborhoods.

A GREENER CHAMPS ELYSEES

In addition to greening the city, another eye-popping plan is the proposal to create a ‘tree tunnel’ in Paris’s most famous thoroughfare – the Champs Elysees. This is part of the masterplan to make over the 19km street in time for the 2024 Olympic Games. Not only will this transform the area to a tree-lined, urban forest but also reduce the number of car lanes from four to two, to create more space for pedestrian and green areas.

30,000 BINS AND COUNTING

Did you know that Paris is blanketed with over 30,000 bins? That’s a waste bin available every 100 metres. Authorities took this important step to ensure that waste is discarded of and recycled properly, as Paris aims to adopt a zero-waste strategy and create a circular economy. Door-to-door collection is also being stepped up, especially from restaurants and food markets with the aim of halving food waste by 2025.

REPAIR INSTEAD OF CHUCKING

However, Paris doesn’t want their residents to get the wrong idea that more waste bins should equal more waste. Part of their zero-waste strategy is to also set up ‘Ressourceries’ around the city in an effort to teach Parisians to repair things instead of throwing them away. Whether it’s furniture, appliances, clothing, or even toys, this program lets people get hands-on with keeping their “broken” items out of landfill.

SPROUTING GREEN ROOFTOPS

Paris has a green roof law dating back to 2014 – when Hidalgo took the reins of the city. It decreed that new buildings built in commercial zones must be covered by plants or solar panels. Since then, the city has made its mark in renewable energy with over 76,000sqm of solar panels already installed on Paris rooftops. By 2030, the city is targeting to have 20% of buildings equipped with these PV cells.

ZERO INTEREST ECO LOANS

One of the biggest obstacles in Paris’ greening initiatives is the question of what to do with older, heritage buildings. While new developments can easily be made sustainable and receive the ‘Habitat et Evironnement’ certification, it is tricky to retrofit older buildings and require more investment. While there is no set official template, the city government has been encouraging owners to go green by extending financial incentives such as tax credits and zero interest eco-loans.

See also: 10 Most Eco-friendly Cities in the World

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