Cities are on Track!
By Henk Rogers
Blue Planet Alliance Founder and CEO
More than 100 cities get more than 70% of their energy from renewable resources, such as hydro, wind, solar, or geothermal.
Why is it that the news about our fight against climate change seems to be so pessimistic? Are things really going in the wrong direction?
If you look at the ambitions of countries, we seem to be falling short. If, however, we look at the ambitions of cities, we are doing much better. Let’s look at the bright side for a change.
The ultimate goal of the Paris agreement was to keep Global Warming to 1.5º. So far, only Gambia is on track. The biggest polluters of the world are either insufficient or highly insufficient. Maybe we are looking in the wrong place — and looking at the wrong metrics.
Staying below 2.0ºC or 1.5ºC of rising global temperature averages is not a goal ordinary people can understand. It’s a language only climate scientists can understand. If I asked you to keep the average temperature in your house 2.0ºC lower next year, what would you do — and how would you know if you achieved your goal?
In order for us to reverse climate change, stop global warming, and get out of the climate crisis, we need clear achievable goals. Let’s face it: it’s our use of carbon dioxide and methane-producing fuels that is causing the greenhouse effect and global warming. Our mission is to end the use of carbon-based fuel. Let’s focus on that.
Nothing ever happens without a deadline. If you asked your child to do a book report and did not give him or her a deadline, it would never happen. Life gets in the way. It’s the same thing with groups of people. No deadline, no results. So let’s create a deadline by which we have to end the use of carbon-based fuel.
The IPCC picked 2050 as a deadline for a fuzzy goal of 1.5ºC. When we reach 2050, some scientists will say we did it. Others will say we fell short. Politicians will be much worse. Some of them will say the world is freezing over when it’s on fire. Who are people to believe?
Let’s keep it simple and measurable by pretty much anyone. Let’s have the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045. 2045 is the 100th anniversary of the United Nations. Great date for fixing everything. Here’s the problem.
There are presently only six countries that are use 100% renewable energy for electricity. And there are a handful more that have pledged or mandated to go 100% renewable energy by 2050 or sooner. Why so few? Because it’s hard to get a country to agree to something.
States, as in the United States, are easier. In 2015, Hawaii adopted a mandate of 100% renewable energy by 2045. Today, more than a dozen other states have followed suit. It’s much easier to get a state to have a mandate than a country. Still, why so few? Because it’s hard to get a state to agree to something.
So where is the biggest progress being made to end climate change? It’s cities! There are already 40 major cities that are powered by renewable energy. And as noted, there are 100 more cities that get more than 70% of their energy from renewables.
Today 56% of all people in the world live in cities. That number will rise to 68% by 2050. As cities move toward their goals of 100% renewable energy, it will make it easier for states and countries to follow suit.
Let’s celebrate the progress being made by cities working diligently to fix our climate. On World Cities Day, let’s thank them for what they are doing. (We are behind you all the way!)
We will work with cities to create a world in which humanity and nature live in harmony.
We are doing this!!
