Northern Europe offers best lessons for sustainable Smart Cities
Photo by Rolands Varsbergs on Unsplash
Along with the ongoing expansion of smart communities throughout the world, every year we see more and more shining examples of sustainable urban living popping up. Northern Europe continues to buck the trend with many inspiring case studies, as was shown in recent research conducted by Disruptive Technologies which measured a number of factors when it comes to smart cities.
In this study, Copenhagen has been named the most sustainable smart city in the world, closely followed by Oslo and, further south, Zurich. The research took into consideration a range of different criteria, with Denmark’s capital coming out on top overall. It led the way in water sustainability and performed well in the categories of renewable energy, quality of living, transport, environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), as well as smart technology adoption.
Another important factor in these examples resides in climate targets for Europe. Recent research showed that two thirds of large cities have upwardly revised their climate targets for 2030, following the start of the European Green Deal and adoption of the EU Climate Law.
Eurocities survey results demonstrate that this is about more than just target-setting. The goals are followed through with actions and supporting measures to accelerate the transition: 62% of cities said that they offer support to citizens for small-scale renewable energy installations, while just over half (55%) provide renovation support for vulnerable households, and a smaller number (16%) even offer direct debt relief from energy bills.
These steps aren’t just relevant in the cities where they are being put into action, but also open up new sustainability goals in countries around the globe, made all the more relevant by renewed pressure coming from this month’s COP26 summit to meet carbon neutrality targets. Sustainability and climate change are challenges that will not just go away any time soon, and need to become a top priority within any city’s infrastructure and planning. Not all cities have the same starting point or can enjoy the first-mover advantage, but we live in a thriving era of good examples and practices at a truly global scale, in a world that’s more connected than ever; so we can rest assured knowing that these lessons are, more often than not, more easily applicable that we may think - it’s all about strong and resourceful leadership and empowering citizens to be part of that transformation.
Studies and research focusing on smart city developments should become the gold standard when it comes to setting up healthy premises and key learnings for governments, city officials, and newly built communities. And it’s not just about making a city smart, but also about how we transform our cities into the sustainable communities of the future.
