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30 April 2015

Vancouver joins list of cities committed to 100% renewable energy

The Canadian city of Vancouver has followed such international luminaries as Sydney, Stockholm and Copenhagen in committing to run on 100 percent renewable energy. The city, which is home to 600,000 people, currently generates 32 percent of its energy from renewable sources, and has the ambition to be the greenest city in the world by 2020.

The city is likely to set a target year of 2030 to 2035 to achieve its goal for electricity, heating and cooling, with the achievement of 100 percent renewably powered transport to be pushed back to between 2040 and 2050. Road traffic is predicted to be the most challenging area to reduce emissions, with fossil-fuel powered cars, trucks and buses still common. The city, however, has already taken significant steps to promote cycling and walking, and has managed to reduce the average distance driven in the city by 20 percent from 2007 levels.

“Cities around the world must show continued leadership to meet the urgent challenge of climate change, and the most impactful change we can make is a shift toward 100 percent of our energy being derived from renewable sources,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “There’s a compelling moral imperative but also a fantastic economic case to be a green city,” added Deputy Mayor Andrea Reimer.

For more information, visit the Guardian.