The Danish capital has an ambitious goal to be the world’s greenest and most bike-friendly city, and it is taking big steps to make that happen soon.
"Six years ago, the city of Copenhagen set the goal to become the first carbon-neutral capital in the world, shrinking energy use as it shifts to renewable energy and produces enough extra green power to offset other remaining emissions," writes Adele Peters.
The city is pursuing a variety of strategies and programs to reach that end by 2025. A focus on transportation is central to the plan, including urban planning and design that makes walking and access to transit priorities, a proposal to ban diesel vehicles from the city, and expansion of its already extensive bicycle network.
Peters reports that Copenhagen is also moving away from electricity to renewable energy. "To date, it has installed 62 massive wind turbines with a capacity of 158 megawatts; by 2025, it plans to have an installed capacity of 460 megawatts." The city is also planning longer-term strategies such as harnessing geothermal energy and increasing the energy efficiency of buildings.
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