The questions climate neutral cities must answer

What does climate neutrality mean for cities? In our latest article for the magazine “FORESIGHT Climate & Energy” we talk about the confusion that lays in the term “neutrality” and the resulting  different levels of ambition for cities.

“There is no clear definition of climate neutrality despite 117 cities worldwide setting it as a target in the coming decades. Where Paris will include all emissions it produces, regardless of the sector or source, Copenhagen only calculates CO₂ emissions related to heating and electricity. But both will claim to be neutral.

Two new reports shed light on the question of neutrality: one by 2000-Watt-Gesellschaft and the other by the NewClimate Institute and Data-Driven EnviroLab. Both look at different visions of climate neutrality in cities, regions and companies, the first one on a European scale and the second one worldwide. But the major differences in the definition of neutrality lead to very different climate ambitions and action. Our article provides an overview of the current trends in European cities and explains why a common definition of neutrality is needed.”

Access the full article on FORESIGHT Climate & Energy’s website!