🌐 The Global Race to Decarbonize Cities, From Toronto to NYC to Addis Ababa and Beyond

The rise of global networks that connect cities to share, discover, and apply the best ideas back home is an essential innovation layer in our civilization's race to cut carbon.

Success is vital because cities are responsible for 70% of global emissions. The stakes are understandably high; 55% of humans live in cities, projected to grow to 70% by 2050.

In response, many cities are taking bold action to meet the moment.

• In Africa, Addis Ababa plants one million trees per year.

• In Asia, Shenzhen operates a fleet of thousands of electric-powered public transportation buses.

• In North America, New York City drives deep decarbonization in large buildings through ambitious greenhouse gas reduction laws.

• In Europe, Paris is hyper-localizing everything — work, school, groceries, healthcare, parks — to curtail car dependence.

Nearly every solution the world needs to address the climate challenge is now in place somewhere on the planet. These solutions don’t just eliminate carbon — they enhance everyday life.

The critical challenge is compressing the timescale from years and decades to weeks and months for the best of them to be discovered and deployed elsewhere.

Mayors are at the forefront of this global effort to exchange ideas and accelerate carbon reduction. Through C40 Cities — a network of 96 of the 100 largest cities — mayors collaborate to introduce the most effective, high-impact climate solutions from one corner of the globe to another.

David Miller was Mayor of Toronto from 2003-2010 and spearheaded the city’s transformation into a global climate leader with a plan that championed innovation, inclusion, and economic opportunity.

Now, as C40’s Managing Director of the Center for City Climate Policy and Economy, host of the podcast Cities 1.5, and author of Solved: How the Great Cities of the World are Fixing the Climate Crisis, David guides cities toward a sustainable future that counters climate change and makes urban life better in the process.

David joins Josh on the podcast to share how the rise of networks is fast-tracking climate action and how the world’s leading cities optimize for economic growth, urban quality of life, and a more sustainable future. 

Take me to the podcast: Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and all other platforms.

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Number of the week: 13,000

That’s the number of cities around the world that have committed to long-term climate plans and voluntary action. They are connected and represented globally in climate negotiations through the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy and its CHAMP initiative. Gregor Robertson, Special Envoy for CHAMP, was a previous guest on Supercool.

Quote of the week:

“I truly believe that if people understand what's possible today and how it can enrich our lives and not just solve the climate crisis, they're going to demand the kind of action at scale that we need.” -  David Miller, Mayor of Toronto (2003-2010), Managing Director at C40 Cities

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Related Stories

Leaders from Morris, Minnesota, Fly to Germany and Get Inspired

Saerbeck, population 7,200, is a climate marvel. It was the first German town to reclaim control of its power generation from a large utility and transition to 100% renewable energy. When Climate Smart Municipalities, a knowledge exchange program at the Univerity of Minnesota, sent the folks from Morris, a small rural agricultural town, over to Germany to see Saerbeck and meet its leaders, magic ensued. Returning home impressed and inspired, Morris set out to become a climate leader, now aiming for 80% carbon reduction by 2030.

Nerd Out on Urban Climate Policy Innovation with City Climate Corner

Innovative climate solutions spring from towns of all sizes. A great source of insight and inspiration for this point of view is the City Climate Corner podcast, which delves into on-the-ground policy innovation happening in small cities across the U.S., from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Morris, Minnesota (see above).

Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur Team Up to Cut Carbon Used by Buildings 

When the city leaders of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia discovered Tokyo’s pioneering urban cap-and-trade system in Japan that reduced building emissions by 33% in a decade, they reached out to their peers at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Now the two cities are collaborating on a plan to dramatically cut Kuala Lumpur’s emissions by 70% by 2030.

Los Angeles and Long Beach are Working with Shanghai on a Green Shipping Corridor

The two busiest ports in America, Los Angeles and Long Beach, are collaborating across the Pacific with the Port of Shanghai to develop the world’s first green shipping corridor in one of the busiest trading routes. The objective is zero emissions shipping. C40 facilitated this groundbreaking collaboration.

Five Cities Accelerate Bike Lane Expansion

The Final Mile project started in 2018 to help American cities rapidly expand their cycling infrastructure in months instead of decades. It worked. Playbooks emphasized community engagement and public communication and were tailored to the unique characteristics of Austin, Denver, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Providence. 335 miles of bike lanes were built in less than 24 months.

Want to know more about how some cities build safe, connected bike lanes 3x faster than their peers?

Recently, Josh interviewed Kyle Wagenschutz, the genius behind The Final Mile Project, on the Supercool podcast.

Take me to the podcast: Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube, and all other platforms.

Also, here’s a previous Supercool newsletter about bike infrastructure trends and innovations in the U.S. and across the globe—from Memphis, Tennesse, where Wagenschutz got his start, to Hangzhou, China, which operates the world’s largest bike share program.

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City Spotlight: Toronto

This week’s newsletter is all about cities taking action, but we decided to go deeper into Toronto, David Miller’s city to see what’s Supercool.

1. Air Conditioning from Lakewater: Deep Lakewater Cooling (DWLC) is used to cool indoor spaces in 100 downtown buildings reducing energy consumption by 75% versus conventional cooling. The 20,000+ fans attending Toronto Raptors NBA games at the Scotiabank Arena are cooled by lakewater, too.

2. Circular Economy: In 2016, the city council adopted the goal of becoming a zero waste, circular economy. A wave of initiatives aims to make this goal a reality; the city’s Circular Food Innovators Fund seeks to help restaurants comply with zero-waste mandates that limit single-use plastics.

3. Inclusive Climate Action: The city recognizes and supports climate innovations developed by its citizens. For example, a condo building in East Toronto introduced the idea of converting the garbage chute into a compost chute to make composting more convenient and save residents money on their monthly maintenance fees.

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