The Canadian city of Vancouver (pictured) has become the first North American metropolis to announce that it will be powered entirely by renewable energy sources within a generation.
Currently, only 30% of the city’s energy is from renewable sources.
The council has set a target date of 2050 to reach this goal, and will do so by making energy use more efficient and increasing the sources of renewable supply.
Vancouver City Council said it would also adopt a zero-emission standard for new buildings and replace the city’s vehicle fleet with electric cars and trucks. It also intends to streamline the process for installing rooftop solar panels and increase support for car sharing.
The sources of energy used in Vancouver in 2014
Gregor Robertson, the city’s mayor, said: “With a pragmatic approach to buildings and transportation we eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels and make Vancouver a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient city.”
On the City of Vancouver website, the council says this is an “ambitious but achievable strategy”.
Read about the plan in more detail here.
Top image: Vancouver (Solstag/Wikimedia Commons)
