Sometimes, the simplest things can make the biggest difference. Eschewing wind farms and nuclear power, this Brazilian city has turned instead to more primitive technology to promote sustainability, in the form of a huge fleet of buses and a 30-strong flock of sheep. The sheep keep the parks and municipal gardens neatly trimmed – and fertilised – without the need for mowers, and three quarters of Curitiba’s residents make use of one of the best bus transit systems anywhere in the world. Buses on Curitiba’s busiest routes run as frequently as every 90 seconds. Freiburg, Germany
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| (Image © WINFRIED ROTHERMEL/AP/PA Photos) |
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If Frieburg in south west Germany is one of the greenest cities on earth, it’s partly down to the RAF. Frieburg was flattened by allied bombers during World War Two, giving town planners the opportunity to produce a better, more efficient city almost from scratch. Today, the city boasts some of the strictest energy use regulations in the world, as well as miles of good cycle paths and a super-fast tram service. There’s even a school where kids play for three hours a day in the forest, whatever the weather. Tough for them – great for their appreciation of nature.
(Pictured, the Sonnenschiff or Solar ship community centre in Freiburg, which gains its power entirely from regenerative kinds of energy)
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Masdar City, Abu Dhabi
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| (Image © Getty Images) |
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Don’t pencil in a holiday to Masdar City just yet, because it doesn’t actually exist. But authorities in Abu Dhabi hope that, by 2015, Masdar City will be a teeming 50,000 strong metropolis and the greenest urban centre in the world. If their hopes are fulfilled, electricity, cooling and water purification needs will all be met by solar energy, treated waste water will be used to water gardens and parks, and cars will be banned. The first residents of what might be the world’s greenest city are expected to move in from 2009. |
Reykjavik, Iceland
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| (Image © Martin Keene/PA Archive/PA Photos) |
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Reykjavik’s efforts on the environmental front put those of us in less inclement climates to shame. Despite bitter winter winds, the mayor has pledged to make the Icelandic capital the cleanest city in Europe. Hydrogen buses have been cruising the city streets for years, and heat and electricity come from renewable geothermal and hydropower sources. Reykjavik wants to become fossil fuel free by 2050, and it’s well on course to meet that goal. |
Vancouver, Canada
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| (Image © RICHARD LAM/AP/PA Photos) |
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| Residents of Vancouver have always considered themselves nature lovers. After all, the city occupies a picture postcard perch between towering mountains and the deep blue sea. The city is doing all it can to give nature a helping hand, too, by taking 90 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources and becoming a world leader in the provision of hydroelectric power. It can also boast 200 parks and 18 miles of waterfront. And given that most of us can’t plan beyond next week, the city’s 100-year plan for sustainability seems particularly forward thinking. |
Växjö, Sweden
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| Image © JOHN MCCONNICO/AP/PA Photos |
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| Ten years ago, most of us were more worried about the millennium bug than the threat from global warming. Not in Växjö, Sweden, however, which has been working towards its aim of becoming fossil fuel free for more than a decade. Today, the local power plant burns wood chippings from local saw mills rather than oil, and low emission cars are rewarded with free parking spaces. The results of this forward thinking are impressive. On average, each citizen of the Swedish city is responsible for 3.5 tonnes of carbon per year. In America, the figure is 20 tonnes. |
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