Note: Page numbers in bold indicate figures, photographs, or captions.
Accra, Ghana, waste transformation, 136, 148–50
active transportation: Bengaluru, India, 121; bikeshare programs, 108, 110, 111, 126, 126–7, 148, 153; Bogota, Columbia, 121; Bucaramanga, Columbia, 121; city action for, 158; Copenhagen, Denmark, 93; density, 112–13; Paris, 122–6; Santiago, Chile, 108
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, rapid transit, 94–5, 96, 100, 110
air conditioning, 27, 36–7, 46, 57, 76, 77
air quality, and transportation, 102–3, 106, 114, 117, 118, 120–1, 122, 125, 126, 128
apartment buildings, waste management, 144–5
Arup engineers, 6
Balfour, James, 66
Barcelona, environmental justice, 18–21
barriers, to action, 47, 154–5
benchmarking, of existing buildings, 48–50, 51, 56, 60
Bengaluru, India, and active transportation, 121
Better Buildings Partnership: Sydney, 63–6; Toronto, 59–63, 153
bike paths / lanes, 124–5, 155
bikeshare programs, 108, 110, 111, 126, 126–7, 148, 153
“Bixi Anthem, The” (Da Gryptions), 111
Bloomberg, Michael, 48, 51, 154
Bloomberg New Energy Finance, 103
Bogota, Columbia, 97, 99–100, 121
BRT. See rapid transit, bus
Bucaramanga, Columbia, and active transportation, 121
“Build It Back,” 18
Build Your Dreams (BYD), 105, 106
Building and Construction Trades Council, 18
buildings, existing, 41–67; barriers to action, 47; benchmarking, 48–50, 51, 56, 60; Better Buildings Partnership, 59–63 (Toronto), 63–6 (Sydney); breathing of, 45; building mandate, 50–3; cap and trade (Tokyo), 53–8; energy consumption, 44–7; New York, 41–2, 48–53; partnerships, voluntary (Toronto and Sydney), 58–66; rationale for retrofitting, 42–4; water use, 46, 47, 49
buildings, new, 69–90; approvals and codes, 70–2; best practice examples (Vancouver), 82–3; embodied carbon (Vancouver), 81–2; green building codes (New York), 84–6; green operating building standards, 72–8; Kathleen Grimm School, 87–8; leadership (New York), 86–7; net-zero carbon (general), 73–5; net-zero carbon (Vancouver), 79–80; new technologies, 75; New York, 84–9; passive design, 76–8; questions about, 71; renewable energy, 86–7; skyscrapers, 88–9; Vancouver, Canada, 69–70, 78–84
bus rapid transit (BRT). See rapid transit, bus
buses: China, 104–5; density, of cities, 101; diesel vs. electric, 102–4, 108, 109; economics, 103, 104, 105; electric, 104–5, 105, 106–8, 110, 122; Kolkata, India, 103–4; leased, 107; London, 115, 119; Milan, Italy, 108–10; Santiago, Chile, 106–8; Shenzhen, China, 104–5, 105; Toronto, Canada, 101–2; trolley, 108–9. See also rapid transit, bus
BYD (Build Your Dreams), 105
C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, xvi, 6–7, 153–4. See also cities
Caldwell, Kirk, 75
Canada Post, 131
cap and trade (Tokyo), 53–8; about, 53–4; carbon credits, 55, 56; Fukushima nuclear power plant, 57; future of, 57–8; mechanics, 54–5; noncompliance and reporting, 56–7; tenants, 56–7
capture, of methane, 137, 138, 146, 150
carbon neutrality: biomass, 38–9; buildings, 80; Copenhagen, 37–8; goal, 3, 6, 16, 78, 122
carbon offsets, 51, 52, 55, 74, 80
carbon sink, 72
car-free zones and days, 20, 121, 123, 124, 125, 158
cars vs. buses and bikes, 93
Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability, 69
Champs Élysées, 124
“Change Is in the Air” (Toronto), 8–12, 59
circular economy, 146, 147–8, 150
cities: ability to effect change, xii–xiv, 157; carbon budgets, 11–15; development plans, 70–2; effectiveness of actions, 9, 151; government organization, 4–6; interdepartmental collaboration, 10, 13; leading (examples), 3–4; public engagement, 15, 17, 18–21, 100, 120–1, 155. See also C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group; climate crisis, and cities; mayors; individual cities
clean wood waste, 80
climate action, inclusive: about, 15–16; environmental justice, 18–21; participatory budgets (Paris), 17–18; Rio de Janeiro, 16–17
climate crisis, and cities: buildings, existing, 41–67; buildings, new, 69–90; energy and electricity, 23–40; planning, xiii, 1–21; transportation, personal, 111–33; transportation, public, 91–110; waste, 135–50
Climate Emergency Response (Vancouver), 78
Coalition for Urban Transitions, 8
codes, building, xiii, 49, 70–2, 84–6
Colau, Ada, 21
collaboration, as strategy, 4–5, 6–7, 10, 13, 152
composting, 137, 138, 140, 141, 142, 143–4, 144–5, 146, 147, 150
concrete, 27, 75, 78, 81–2, 83, 87
congestion, traffic, 2, 95, 111–12, 114, 117, 123
congestion charging (London), 113–19, 128
Conservation Energy Plant, 28
Conservative Party (Canada), and climate change, 156
co-ops, 38
Copenhagen, Denmark, 37–40, 93
Copenhagen Climate Summit for Mayors, 152–3
credits, green power, 51, 52, 86
culture, political, 10
Curitiba, Brazil, 91–2, 98–100
cycling, 121, 122, 124–5. See also active transportation; bike paths / lanes; bikeshare programs
D2020 (Deadline 2020), 6
Da Gryptions, 111
de Blasio, Bill, 18, 50, 51, 53, 89
Deadline 2020 (D2020), 6
Deep Lake Water Cooling, 23–4, 36–7, 46
density, of cities, 42, 43, 66–7, 72, 91, 92–3, 96, 101, 112–13
DHL, 132
diesel vs. electric, 102–4, 108, 109, 129
district cooling, 23, 28, 37, 39, 80
district heating, 37–40, 73, 80
dumps, illegal, 149
economy, post-war, and waste, 136
Eiffel Tower, 123
electric vehicles: buses, 104–5, 105, 106–8, 110, 122; charging, 104–5, 107, 109, 127–9, 130–1; city fleets, 129–30; cost, 132; delivery fleets, 131–2; Los Angeles, 35; private fleets, 130; range, 128; taxis, 130–1
electricity: clean, 4, 12, 25–6, 31, 44, 86, 93, 95–6, 103; from methane, 138, 146; renewables, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 73, 80, 86, 109; zero emission, 4; zero-carbon buildings, 73. See also solar energy; utilities, municipally owned; wind energy
embodied carbon, 78–9, 81–2, 83, 83, 90
emissions: Accra, Ghana, 149; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 95–6; attributed to cities, 7–8, 11; audits, 61; caps, 51; and city density, 66–7; clean energy, 40; coal, 31; concrete, 75; Copenhagen, 37–9; Copenhagen Climate Summit for Mayors, 152–3; electricity, 25–6, 28, 36–7; embodied carbon, 81–2; energy consumption, 44; global new construction, 83; inventory, 5, 12, 13, 14, 48, 64; landfill gas capture, 150; Los Angeles, 32, 33; methane, 137, 138–9, 139, 146; natural gas, 35; net-positive building, 69; New York, 43, 43, 48, 49; Oslo, Norway (2016), 13; passive design, 76–8; peak, xvii, 3, 6, 151; reduction goals, 10–11, 27, 141, 151, 154; reduction strategies, 113–21; San Francisco, 141; Santiago, Chile, 106; Sao Paolo, Brazil, 146; South African cities, 76–7; Sydney, Australia, 63, 64, 66; Tokyo, Japan, 53; Toronto, Canada (2016), 11, 58–9, 62, 63; transportation, 91, 95–6, 97, 98, 102–3, 104, 106, 107, 109, 110, 112, 113–14, 132–3; Vancouver, Canada, 78, 79, 81–2; zero, 4, 14, 44, 72, 73, 88, 89–90
Empire State Building, 41, 42, 48–9, 52
energy, distributed. See utilities, municipally owned
energy and electricity, 23–40; Austin Energy, 27–31; creative initiatives, 35–40; Deep Lake Water Cooling, 23–4; district energy (Copenhagen), 37–40; electricity, clean, 25–6; Exhibition Place turbine and solar array, 23, 24; Los Angeles (utilities), 32–5; utilities, municipally owned, 26–35
energy consumption, existing buildings: barriers to action, 47; economics, 47, 50–1, 52; fossil fuels, 44–5; rethinking, 46; Toronto targets, 59
energy consumption, new buildings: design and costs, 73–4; green building codes, 84–6; renewable-energy systems, 80
energy models, 50
energy retrofits: benefits, 46–7; costs, 45, 51–2, 59, 60–1, 61–3, 65–6; Empire State Building, 41, 42, 49–50, 52; energy consumption, 44; energy models, 50; Paris, 18; Qingdao, China, 58; rationale for, 42–4; residential, 60–1, 65; retro-commissioning, 45, 49, 65; Robert Cooke Co-op, 61; Sydney, Australia, 65–6; Toronto, Canada, 59–60
Energy Savings Performance Agreements (ESPAs), 60, 61, 62
energy storage, 28, 32, 34–5, 56, 128
engagement, public, 15, 17, 18–21, 100, 120–1, 155
environmental justice (Barcelona), 18–21
Environmental Upgrade Finance (EUF), 65–6
EnWave Corporation, 23–4, 36, 37
Eskom, 31
ESPAs (Energy Savings Performance Agreements), 60, 61, 62
European Commission’s Green Capital Award, 148
e-waste, 135
Exhibition Place turbine, 24, 25
Export-Import Bank of China, 96
Extended Producer Responsibility Resolution, 142
fairness, concept, 15
Federal Express, 131
fines, 51
fleets: city, 107, 113, 129–30; delivery, 131–2; private, 130
flooding, ix
Focused Acceleration (McKinsey Center), 8
Fridays for Future, 155
Fukushima nuclear power plant, 57
“Get Used to Reusing” campaign, 147–8
Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, 154
green building codes (New York), 84–6
Green Building Councils, 73
Green Jobs Corps, 18
Green Leases, 64
Green New Deal: Los Angeles, xvi, 1, 4, 32, 33, 44; New York, 50
green operating building standards: about, 72–3; net-zero carbon, 73–4; new technologies, 75; passive design, 76–8
green spaces, 123
Greener, Greater Buildings Plan, 49
Hawken, Paul, 138
heat pumps, 39, 73, 75, 80, 87
Hierarchy of Action (waste management), 140
High-Rise Retrofit Improvement Support (Hi-RIS), 60–1
Home Energy Loan Program, 60
Hong Kong, district cooling, 37
hot-water heaters, solar, 5
Houston, Texas, ix–x
Hurricane Harvey, ix
Hurricane Sandy, 18
inclusivity, concept, 15. See also climate action, inclusive
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, xi, 6
Intermountain Plant, 35
iPhone, 136
Iran, Ancient, 78
Jakarta, Indonesia, floods, ix
Johnson, Boris, 117
justice, environmental (Barcelona), 18–21
King Open and Cambridge Street Upper Schools Campus, 74
Kolkata, India, and buses, 103–4
Kyoto Protocol, xi, 8
LADWP (Los Angeles Department of Water and Power), 4, 32, 35
landfills, 11, 137, 138, 142, 145, 146, 149, 153
leases, of buses, 107
LEZ/ULEZ: London, 116, 117–19, 127, 132; Madrid, 119, 120–1; Paris, 122
light bulbs, LED, 46
light rail transit (LRT). See rapid transit, rail based
Livingstone, Ken, 7, 115–17, 118, 153–4
Ljubljana, Slovenia, waste transformation, 146–8
London: bus service, 115, 119; congestion charging, 113–19, 128; electric taxis, 131; electric vehicle charging, 127–32; LEZ/ULEZ, 116, 117–19, 127, 132; and Toronto, 154; underground, 91; zero-emission vehicles, 127
Los Angeles: electric vehicles, 35; electricity mix shifts (2007–2017), 34; emissions (2013–2017), 32, 33; Green New Deal, xvi, 1, 4, 32, 33, 44; municipal utilities, 32–5; rapid transit, 94; smog, 2–3, 3; traffic jams, 112; wildfires, ix
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), 4, 32, 35
LRT. See rapid transit, rail based
Madrid, low emission zone, 119, 120–1
management, peak demand, 28, 32, 35, 37, 59
Martínez-Almeida, José Luis, 120
Mayfair on the Green, 144
mayors: Adler, Steve (Austin), 29–30; Bjerregaard, Ritt (Copenhagen), 152, 153; Bloomberg, Michael (New York), 48, 51, 154; Caldwell, Kirk (Honolulu), 75; Colau, Ada (Barcelona), 21; Copenhagen Climate Summit for Mayors, 152–3; and COVID-19, 157–8; de Blasio, Bill (New York), 18, 50, 51, 53, 89; de Lille, Patricia (Cape Town), 31–2, 40; Garcetti, Eric (Los Angeles), 1, 7, 153; Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, 154; Hidalgo, Anne (Paris), 122, 123, 124; inclusivity, 15; Khan, Sadiq (London), 74, 118; Lerner, Jaime (Curitiba), 92, 98–9; Livingstone, Ken (London), 7, 115–17, 118, 153–4; Martínez-Almeida, José Luis (Madrid), 120; Newsom, Gavin (San Francisco), 141; Paes, Eduardo (Rio de Janeiro), 16, 17; Park Won-soon (Seoul), 63; Peñalosa, Enrique (Bogota), 97, 121; power of city government, 40; role of, xiv–xv, xvii, 4; Sowah, Mohammed Adjei (Accra), 149, 150; Tremblay, Gérald (Montreal), 111. See also C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group; cities
McKinsey Center for Business and the Environment, 8, 40, 67, 98
Measure M, 94
methane, 137, 138–9, 139, 146, 149
Metropass, 101
migrants, climate, x, xv
Milan, Italy, public transportation, 108–10
net zero, defined, 27. See also zero emissions
net-zero carbon: about, 73–5; Kathleen Grimm School, 87–8; operation systems, 73; and solar, 87; Vancouver, 79–80. See also zero emissions
New York: benchmarking, 48–50; building mandate, 50–3; buildings, existing, 4, 41–2; emissions, 43, 43, 48, 49; green building codes, 84–6; green fleet, 129–30; Green Jobs Corps, 18; Green New Deal, 50; Kathleen Grimm School, 87–8; leadership, on new buildings, 86–7; skyscrapers, 88–9; waste amounts, 136
Newsom, Gavin, 141
1.5 degree limit, xii, xv, 6, 21, 129
organizations, and change, 155
orientation, and heat accumulation, 77, 87
Oslo Centre for Urban Ecology, 14
PACE (Property-Assessed Clean Energy) financing, 51–2, 60, 61, 65
packaging bans, 142
Paris: active transportation, 122–6; bikeshare program, 126, 126–7, 153; LEZs, 122; participatory budgets, 17–18, 123; sued by automobile advocates, 125
Paris Accord, xi, xv, xvii, 16, 29
Paris Piéton (Pedestrian Paris Strategy), 123
Paris Respire (Paris breathes) Zones, 124
Park Won-soon, 63
participatory budgets, 17–18, 123
partnerships, voluntary (Toronto and Sydney), 58–66
pedestrianization, of areas, 123, 125
“people first” concept, 20
photovoltaics (PVs), 27, 29, 33–4
planning, climate: actions for 1.5 degree world, 6–7; carbon budgets (Oslo), 12–14; “Change Is in the Air” (Toronto), 8–12; development plans, 70–2; effectiveness of, xiii, 7–14; environmental justice (Barcelona), 18–21; inclusive climate action, 15–21; leading cities, examples, 3–4, 8; Los Angeles, 1–3; participatory budgets (Paris), 17–18; rationale, 4–6, 21; Rio de Janeiro, 16–17; San Francisco, 141; steps involved, 10
plants, coal fired, 104; Austin, 28; carbon dioxide, 25; LADWP owned, 32, 35; Lakeview, 10; Los Angeles, 34; Qingdao, China, 58; South Africa, 31; Toronto, 37
producer responsibility, for waste, 142–3, 146
programs, voluntary vs. mandatory, 67
Project Drawdown, 138
Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, 51–2, 60, 61, 65
prosperity and climate action, 7, 11–12, 16, 18, 31
PVs (photovoltaics), 27, 29, 33–4
Qingdao, China, 58
“radio bus,” 110
“range anxiety,” 128
rapid transit, bus: about, 97–8; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 100; Bogota, Columbia, 99–100; Curitiba, Brazil, 98–100, 99; Delhi, India, 100; economics, 100; infrastructure, 98–9, 100; need for, 101–2. See also buses
rapid transit, rail based: about, 93–4; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 94–7, 96, 100, 110; clean electricity, 93; density, 91; financing, 96–7; Los Angeles, 94
recycling, 139–40, 140, 141, 142–3, 144–5, 146, 147, 149
Regis Towers Complex, 65
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 88
Republican Party (US), and climate change, 156
retro-commissioning. See energy retrofits
Ridership Growth Strategy, 101–2
right sizing, of vehicles, 129
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, climate agenda, 16–17
Robert Cooke Co-op, 61
Safe Drug Disposal Stewardship Ordinance, 143
San Francisco, waste management, 140–6; apartment buildings, 144–5; assistance, 145; within city departments, 145; construction waste, 145; mandatory recycling and composting, 143–5; motivation, 141; packaging bans, 142; planning, 140–1; producer responsibility, 142–3, 146; Recology, 141–2; zero-waste facility, 146
Santiago, Chile, bus service, 106–8
Sao Paolo, Brazil, methane-capture system, 146
Seine Quayside, 125
Shared Solar Program, 34
Shenzhen, China: buses, 104–5, 105; electric taxis, 130–1
Small Scale Energy Generation Program, 31
Smart Green Apartments, 65
Snaga (waste-management company), 147
solar energy: advantages, 26–7; electric vehicle charging, 107; Exhibition Place, 23, 24; Kathleen Grimm School, 87, 88; Los Angeles, 32–5; rooftop, 29, 30–1, 86–7; solar gain, 77; solar wall, 77; thermal hot-water heaters, 5; Toronto, 59; utility scale, 28, 32, 35. See also electricity; wind energy
Solar Rooftops Program, 34
solutions, individuals: actions, use of, 156; voice, use of, 155–6; votes, use of, 156–7
Soundranayagam, Princely, 144
South African cities, and passive design, 76–7
Sowah, Mohammed Adjei, 149, 150
split-incentive problem, 47, 48, 66, 74
sprawl, urban, 112
St James’ Hall, 66
standards, conventional, 72
standards, Passive House, 79–80
storytelling, as strategy, 14
Sydney, Better Buildings Partnership, 63–6
TAF (Toronto Atmospheric Fund), 61
TDHC (Toronto District Heating Corporation), 23, 37
technologies, new, 75
temperature controls, buildings, 64–5
tenants, and buildings, 47, 48, 56–7, 63, 64, 66, 74
TfL (Transportation for London), 128
Tokyo, Japan, cap and trade, 53–8; about, 53–4; carbon credits, 55, 56; Fukushima nuclear power plant, 57; future of, 57–8; mechanics, 54–5; noncompliance and reporting, 56–7; tenants, 56–7
Toronto, Canada: Better Buildings Partnership, 59–63, 153; “Change Is in the Air,” 8–12, 59; coal-fired plant, 37; Deep Lake Water Cooling, 23–4, 36–7; emissions (2016), 11, 58–9, 62, 63; energy consumption, 58–9; leadership, 59; and London, 154; “Transform TO,” 59, 62; transit service, 101–2, 102; waste amounts, 136
Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF), 61
Toronto Conference on the Changing Atmosphere, xi
Toronto District Heating Corporation (TDHC), 23, 37
Toronto Renewable Energy Collective, 24, 25
Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), 101–2, 102
transformation, of waste, 146–50
transportation, active. See active transportation
transportation, personal and other, 111–33; about, 111–13; active transportation (Paris), 122–6; BIXI bikes, 111; city fleets, 129–30; congestion charging (London), 113–19; delivery fleets, 131–2; diesel vs. electric vehicles, 102–3; electric vehicle charging, 127–32; emissions strategies, 113–21; Madrid, Spain, 120–1; private fleets, 130; taxis, 130–1
transportation, public, 91–110; about, 91–2; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 94–5; buses, China, 104–5; buses, electric, 107–8; density, 92–3; Kolkata, India, 103–4; Los Angeles, 94; Milan, Italy, 108–10; rapid transit, bus, 97–103; rapid transit, rail based, 93–7
Transportation for London (TfL), 128
Tremblay, Gérald, 111
trigenerator, 24
TTC (Toronto Transit Commission), 101–2
tune-ups, buildings, 65
UN Clean Development, 146
UN Climate Change Conference (COP 15), 152
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, xi
United States National Climate Assessment, xi
urban sprawl, 112
US post office, 131
utilities, municipally owned, 26–35; Austin Energy, 27–31; Los Angeles, 32–5
Vancouver, Canada: built area by type, 79; declares climate emergency, 78–9; embodied carbon, 78–9, 81–2, 83; net-zero-carbon buildings, 79–80; new buildings, 69–70, 78–84; planning, 3, 4; sewer pipes and heat, 36; Tallwood House, 82–3
Vélib’ Metropole, 126, 126–7, 153
ventilation, passive, 78
waste: about, 135–6; Accra, Ghana, 148–50; amounts of, 135, 136–7, 147, 149; apartment buildings, 144–5; composting, 137, 138, 140, 141, 142, 143–4, 144–5, 146, 147, 150; hierarchy of action, 140; impact on wildlife, 137; incineration, 39, 139, 147, 149; Ljubljana, Slovenia, 146–8; methane, 138–9, 139; ocean dead zones, 136–7; pay-per-use programs, 147; proliferation of, 136–7; recycling, 139–40, 140, 141, 142–3, 144–5, 146, 147, 149; San Francisco, 140–6; transformation of, 146–50; zero waste systems, 139–46
waste pickers (Accra), 149, 150
water use, in buildings, 46, 47, 49
WHO (World Health Organization), 103
wildfires, ix, x
wildlife, waste’s impact on, 137
wind energy, 24, 25, 28, 30, 31, 32, 35, 38, 40, 127
World Health Organization (WHO), 103
zero emissions: building for, 72; buildings, 50, 63, 72, 79–80, 84, 89; center for excellence, 80; net zero defined, 27; Oslo, 14; public transportation, 103; transportation, 109, 110, 112–13, 114, 118, 119, 127, 130, 131; zones, 118. See also net-zero carbon