Multiple in 10 city areas scored by the world’s main environmental disclosure platform have obtained its highest doable “A” ranking this week, highlighting how main cities are embedding local weather motion throughout their operations.
Of the 939 cities reporting via the CDP platform and ranked in its sixth annual Cities A Checklist, 119 have been cited as leaders in environmental motion and transparency for 2023 — with prime rating authorities boasting as much as 4 instances as many mitigation and adaptation actions as non-A Checklist cities.
CDP’s evaluation additionally reported rising renewable power use from quite a few cities, with the likes of Trondheim in Norway, Ecuador’s capital Quito, and San Francisco reporting that renewable power now covers the overwhelming majority of their energy consumption.
Whereas the USA has probably the most “A Checklist” cities of anyone nation — that includes 35 city facilities from Los Angeles to Philadelphia on the listing — the variety of UK metropolis authorities securing the highest ranking additionally rose from 19 in 2022 to 26 in 2023. Birmingham, Brighton & Hove, and Cambridge joined the likes of London, Manchester, York, and Sunderland on the listing for the primary time.
Whereas Europe boasts the biggest share of “A Checklist” cities adopted by North America, this 12 months’s report additionally revealed important progress from cities within the International South.
Whereas Europe boasts the biggest share of “A Checklist” cities adopted by North America, this 12 months’s report additionally revealed important progress from cities within the International South.
In accordance with CDP, 40 p.c — or 47 cities — made their first look on the listing this 12 months, with Istanbul, Jakarta, Bogotá, and Can Tho in Vietnam all receiving their first “A” grade. Furthermore, Brazil, Colombia, The Philippines, and Turkey all obtained their highest variety of “A” rated cities up to now.
The progress comes after current CDP information discovered that 80 p.c of cities face local weather hazards equivalent to heatwaves and floods, with 70 p.c anticipating them to turn out to be extra intense within the coming years.
Maia Kutner, CDP director of cities, states and areas, mirrored that 2023 will likely be remembered because the 12 months when centuries-long local weather data weren’t simply damaged, however smashed.
“Whereas cities around the globe felt the total power of the 12 months’s local weather disasters, from heatwaves to floods, it is optimistic that many are main by instance in tackling local weather change with tangible motion,” she mentioned. “At this time, we’re delighted to have a good time the 119 cities, from Lima to London, whose efficient motion make them international local weather leaders. Much more encouragingly, this isn’t the primary time that many — together with from the International South — are on CDP’s A Checklist, exhibiting that severe local weather motion is now mainstream for lots of the world’s cities.
It is optimistic that many are main by instance in tackling local weather change with tangible motion.
Nonetheless, Kutner warned extra motion was wanted from metropolis leaders to speed up the web zero transition and put together their areas for escalating local weather impacts.  That is no time for complacency, although,” he mentioned. “Cities not reporting environmental information should step up their transparency, whereas many extra have to speed up their efforts to achieve internet zero and create a extra sustainable future for all, particularly probably the most susceptible.”
Amongst quite a few examples of city innovation in local weather mitigation and adaptation, CDP flagged UK-based measures equivalent to a digital twin of the Metropolis of London’s ‘Sq. Mile’ created to find out the areas most susceptible to warmth stress and flooding impacts.
It additionally highlighted how authorities in Sunderland are putting in residing roofs on 90 bus shelters throughout town to reinforce native biodiversity. Nicknamed ‘Bee Bus Stops’, they sit on prime of shelters produced from recycled supplies and are planted with a mixture of native wildflower species to help bees and different pollinators.
The residing roofs additionally assist present pure cooling to counteract the results of ‘city warmth islands’, take up rainwater to alleviate flooding, and filter high-quality mud particles from the air.