News and Articles on Sustainable Cities & Infrastructure

National Grid Joins EV100, Commits to Electrify Fleet By 2030

June 21, 2021June 21, 2021 by Harun Asad

National Grid, a major utility in the UK and US, joined EV100 earlier this month, committing to transition its fleet of over 5,700 vehicles to electric – 2,879 vehicles in the UK and 2,905 vehicles in the US – and install charging for staff at all locations by 2030. EV100 ... Read more »

ConEd Banks On Energy Efficiency Near Term For Clean Energy Transition

June 18, 2021 by Harun Asad

In response to New York’s clean energy goals and requirements, Consolidated Edison Inc. (ConEd), one of the largest utilities in the U.S., is banking on energy efficiency programs in the near term, and renewables and electrification in the longer term. New York’s nation-leading climate targets include the following. Additionally, New ... Read more »

Maldives Builds First-Of-Its Kind Floating Island City To Mitigate Climate Change

June 15, 2021June 23, 2021 by Harun Asad

To mitigate the effects of climate change and rising sea levels, the atoll nation of Maldives is building the first-of-its kind floating island city. Designed by Dutch Docklands, the development will feature thousands of waterfront residences and services floating along a flexible, functional grid across a 200-hectare lagoon. Construction is ... Read more »

New York Passes Low-Carbon Concrete Bill

June 14, 2021June 23, 2021 by Harun Asad

New York has passed Bill S542A establishing guidelines for the procurement of low embodied carbon concrete. As I discussed recently about ECOPact and Skansa tests, trends towards reducing embodied carbon in concrete are continuing to build momentum. Concrete remains a critical barrier to climate-friendly buildings. It is responsible for at ... Read more »

Miami Appoints Chief Heat Officer To Address Climate Impacts

June 11, 2021June 18, 2021 by Harun Asad

With climate impacts – heat arguably being the number one – worsening as I wrote earlier this week, public and private enterprises are realizing the need to step up their governance efforts. Earlier this year Miami-Dade County appointed Jane Gilbert as its first Chief Heat Officer, and other cities around ... Read more »

EV Adoption Will Soar, but Not Enough to Reach Net-Zero by 2050 without More Policy: BNEF

June 11, 2021June 18, 2021 by Jennifer Nastu

Governments aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050 must do more to spur the adoption of electric vehicles, according to a new report from BloombergNEF (BNEF). Electric vehicles represent a $7 trillion global market opportunity between today and 2030, and $46 trillion between now and 2050, but that won’t be enough to reach the goal unless certain measures are taken.

Ransomware: To Pay Or Not To Pay

June 10, 2021June 18, 2021 by Harun Asad

Ransomware is a growing threat for utilities, as most recently evidenced by the May attack on Colonial Pipeline, and cybersecurity has been cited as a top ESG concern, according to the RBC Global Asset Management Responsible Investment Survey. Whether or not to pay large sums of money to attackers is ... Read more »

Maine $17B Pension Fund Directed To Divest From Fossil Fuels

June 9, 2021June 18, 2021 by Harun Asad

In a U.S. first, the state of Maine has passed legislation – bill LD99 – directing the $17 billion Maine Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) to divest $1.3 billion from fossil fuels within 5 years and directs the Treasury to do the same with other state funds. The move makes ... Read more »

Los Angeles will Use Data to Promote Sustainable Transportation: Here’s How

June 8, 2021June 18, 2021 by Emily Holbrook

Los Angeles City Planning and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) unveiled proposed changes to the City's existing Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program.

Heavy Duty Commercial Vehicle Market to Surpass $370B by 2030, Guidehouse Insights Says

June 4, 2021June 10, 2021 by Jennifer Nastu

The next 10 years are likely to be dramatic in terms of electric heavy commercial vehicles; in China, the trend is already well underway, particularly with electric trucks, but the rest of the world is expected to follow in coming years. Though momentum is strong, the challenges are not insignificant — mostly relating to range and charging speed.

Skanska Tests Reuse Of Precast Concrete

May 28, 2021 by Harun Asad

Concrete remains a critical barrier to climate-friendly buildings. It is responsible for at least 7% of carbon emissions worldwide, according to clean energy research group BloombergNEF. While ‘green concrete’ is being used in some states, the Biden Administration hasn’t prioritized it as much as electric vehicles or renewable energy. Part ... Read more »

Enabling Climate Resiliency: Top U.S. Parks

May 28, 2021 by Harun Asad

According to The Trust For Public Land, an authority on parks and green infrastructure, parks are essential for public health, climate resilience, and strongly connected communities. Climate change affects everyone, but in cities, low-income communities often face the starkest threats. On average, low-income neighborhoods have fewer parks and green spaces ... Read more »

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