The Greenest Cities on the Planet

In a piece for GE's Ecomagination, Michael d'Estries takes a look at five cities that set the bar for cutting carbon, recycling waste, and making space for Mother Nature.

1 minute read

March 21, 2012, 10:00 AM PDT

By Ryan Lue

Thanks to innovative programs in alternative transportation, renewable energy, green building, and waste management, the following five cities earned d'Estries' vote for "Most Sustainable Cities in the World":

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
San Francisco, California, United States
Oslo, Norway
Curitiba, Brazil
Copenhagen, Denmark

Said d'Estries of Vancouver: "They already lead the world in hydroelectric power-making up 90 percent of its supply-as well as regularly tapping into renewables like wind, solar, and wave power. Thanks to mass transit, bike lanes (248 miles worth), ride sharing programs, and greenways, Vancouver has the lowest per capita carbon emissions of any major city on the continent."

The analysis looked heavily at cities' electric vehicle fleets, where San Francisco took the lead with over 1,000 EVs and 5,000 plug-in hybrids expected by the end of the year.

FULL STORY: Top Five Most Sustainable Cities in the World

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 in Ecomagination

Environment World Sustainability Green Building San Francisco Vancouver Curitiba Copenhagen Electric Vehicles Oslo View More

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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