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The economic and social benefits of low-carbon cities

The economic and social benefits of low-carbon cities

The Economic and Social Benefits of Low-Carbon Cities

Over half of the population of the world live in urban areas. This means that efforts to meet human development goals and sustain economic growth must be concentrated in cities.

However, the pursuit of more prosperous, inclusive and sustainable urban development is complicated by climate change, which multiplies existing environmental risks, undermines the effectiveness of existing infrastructure, and creates new resource constraints.

This systematic review of the literature focused on three sectors: energy efficiency in buildings, low-carbon transport, and sustainable waste management. Where relevant within each of these sectors, we identified and assessed four categories of co-benefits: public health, employment, congestion, and inclusion.

Key findings show that in almost every sector, the wider benefits of mitigation are comparable with, or greater than, the direct economic returns associated with reduced energy expenditure, transport fares, user fees, and so on.

This report is chock full of multiple benefits from going low carbon: reductions in indoor air pollution, improvements to human productivity, improvements in socio-economic standing, improved health, reduced transportation deaths, reductions in wasted fuel and commute time, creation of more jobs, and healthier work environments to name a few.

Strategic resilience in the US wine industry

Strategic resilience in the US wine industry

How to be resilient when wildfire threatens an industry Wildfire smoke can impact the quality of wine, but vignerons won’t know what the damage is until the wine is opened. Grapevines themselves are pretty resilient to fire, but wildfire smoke can taint the flavor significantly AND the impact might not be revealed until the wine…

Electric recycling and garbage trucks catching on

Electric recycling and garbage trucks catching on

Electrification is catching on in the hauler industry. Republic Services is going all-in on fully integrated electric recycling and garbage trucks. With a fleet of over 17,000 vehicles nationwide, this sustainability initiative puts Republic in the vanguard of leaders in their industry. Republic is one of the largest operators offering residential and commercial recycling and…

Sustainability Spotlight: Bellingham Public Schools Tackles Sustainability

Sustainability Spotlight: Bellingham Public Schools Tackles Sustainability

School districts have a compelling reason to reach for sustainability in their operations and curriculum. The energy their buildings and buses use, the food they serve, the water they consume, and the waste they generate puts schools at the fulcrum of what sustainability entails – reducing their environmental footprint and conserving resources. Additionally, their job…

Climate Change Impacts Seaports

Climate Change Impacts Seaports

Seaports are a vital part of the shipping industry, and they are already feeling the effects of climate change. The concern over climate change must be transformed into action. Climate planning should be budgeted for all ports and should include adaptation and mitigation. Climate change is here. Time is of the essence.

Farmers adapt solar arrays for growing crops

Farmers adapt solar arrays for growing crops

Image credit: Agrivoltaics: How Solar and Farmland can Fight Climate Change (solarreviews.com) Agrivoltaics produce electricity and grow crops on the same land Using the power of the sun solves a host of problems such as reducing farmers’ energy costs, optimizing land use, reducing evaporation, and lowering costs through efficiencies. It is also known as solar…

Sustainability Spotlight: Tony’s Coffee

Sustainability Spotlight: Tony’s Coffee

How did sustainability start for Tony’s? Our sustainability journey can be traced back to 2002, when we began sourcing Organic, Fair Trade, Shade Grown coffee. Since then, we moved to 100% green power, doubled our roasting efficiency, offset our roastery’s carbon footprint, and continue to support causes that we care about. Our commitment to sourcing…

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