Cities go low-carbon with these big hitters
Top 5 urban low-carbon innovations coming to your city
We live in an urban world and this will only be more true as the future rushes toward us. While cities are already lower carbon than rural lifestyles, that doesn’t mean they can rest in the age of global warming.
What are the top five low-carbon innovations cities are pursuing now that will spread over the next few years?
Major urban low-carbon innovations include net metering, vehicle fleet emissions standards, complete streets zoning, wind-powered trains, and electric buses. Almost all of them are driven by governments through regulation, policy, or investment. These aren’t free-market or Silicon Valley digital plays, but real-world urban planning realities.
Net metering
Net metering is a policy placed upon regulated electrical utilities in many parts of the world by state governments. It requires that the utility:
- allow home- or office building-generation of electricity via solar panels,
- provide backup and other ancillary services for the local…
