What do Vienna, Austria and Brisbane, Australia have in common? They’re paving the way for a cleaner future.
We hear so much about our individual responsibility to protect our environment, but what are cities doing to improve the planet? On a large scale, cities have the potential to enact widespread change in order to encourage healthier habits and sustainable living.
We’ve written before about the future of green cities: one Silicon Valley tech company is developing thin photovoltaics that could potentially turn skyscrapers into solar panels. And back in April, the city of San Francisco made US history by requiring the installation of solar panels on all new residential and commercial buildings.
Globally, the future's looking bright. The following 12 cleanest cities in the world have taken inspiring steps to preserve Earth.
Here are some of our favorite facts:
- Calgary, Canada: 75% of the city is powered by renewable energy.
- Brisbane, Australia: 2 million trees have been planted in the last four years.
- Vienna, Austria: Thanks to innovative waste management techniques, this city is one of the cleanest in the world.
- Honolulu, Hawaii: The Waikiki Improvement Association holds quarterly cleanups of its beach.
Thanks to HappyCleans for this storymap. Do you live in the cleanest city in the world? Tell us about it in the comments.
Rebecca writes about green technology, sustainability, and big ideas. She graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a degree in Creative Writing. She lives in sunny San Diego. Follow her on Twitter at @beccawriteswhat.
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