News
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Photo by Sergio Mendoza Hochmann/Dreamstime
As factories and offices shut down and people stayed at home in response to COVID-19 and lockdowns, air pollution dropped around the world. People living in cities from Delhi to Los Angeles witnessed and even celebrated how long-obscured mountains appeared on the horizon as the particulate matter pollution decreased, and evidence from both ground monitors and satellites found significant drops in lung-damaging NOx. But pollution didn’t go away in many places, and pollution exposure over time has made thousands more vulnerable to complications from respiratory illnesses.
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The sixth in a series of seven workshops to improve the bankability of sustainable infrastructure initiatives in Mexico
TheCityFix Labs México Workshop in Xalapa. Photo by WRI México
WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities conducted the sixth workshop of the ongoing technical assistance program TheCityFix Labs México. The main objective of the workshop, held in Xalapa, Mexico, was to help the local government project sponsors refine their financial strategies and provide an initial opportunity to practice the pitches before making their presentations to financial institutions.
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$350,000 to be awarded to transformative urban initiatives tackling the climate crisis and inequality around the world.
The WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities calls upon urban change-makers to deliver transformative and innovative solutions for a resilient future.
ABU DHABI (February 10, 2020)—Today, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities launched the second cycle of the WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities, a global competition that celebrates transformative urban change. The announcement comes during the 10th session of the United Nations World Urban Forum, the world’s largest gathering of urban changemakers. Applications are now being accepted for the Prize for Cities, which will award $250,000 to one winner and $25,000 each to four runners-up.
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Connecting People for Sustainable Growth
Transforming Transportation 2020.
WASHINGTON, DC (January 16, 2020) – The World Bank and WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities invite the press to attend Transforming Transportation 2020, one of the largest global events dedicated entirely to sustainable transport and development.
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The municipality of Hermosillo in Sonora State hosted a workshop to help the project teams prepare financial models and further their projects
TheCityFix Labs México project teams explore Hermosillo, Sonora, during the fourth workshop. Photo by WRI México
On October 29, WRI México conducted the fourth installment of TheCityFix Labs México workshops in Hermosillo, Sonora. TheCityFix Labs is an initiative of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, with support from the Citi Foundation. TheCityFix Labs México is currently supporting the preparation, technical design and financial feasibility of seven sustainable infrastructure projects across the country.
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RELEASE: New Research Finds Climate Adaptation Is an Opportunity for Transformative Change in Cities
Urban adaptation should incorporate climate risks into planning, work with vulnerable communities and focus on nature-based solutions
Photo by ajijchan.
COPENHAGEN (October 9, 2019) — By 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population will live in
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Developing and industrialized countries commit to decarbonize their building sector to achieve massive CO2 reductions
Photo by Franck Michel/Flickr
NEW YORK (September 23, 2019) — All buildings must be net zero carbon by 2050 to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, but fewer than 1% of buildings are today. Closing this gap will require dramatically enhanced ambition and execution of more efficient buildings and renewable energy supply. Zero Carbon Buildings for All, a multi-partner global initiative endorsed by the UN Secretary General, was featured at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit today.
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Project teams from across Mexico convened in Cholula, Puebla, to discuss finding tailored financial mechanisms and funding sources
WRI's Emma Stewart and Gabriela Morales with TheCityFix Labs México project cohort in Cholula, Puebla. Photo by WRI México
On July 4, representatives from each of the seven TheCityFix Labs México projects gathered at the University of the Americas in San Pedro Cholula, Puebla, to discuss financing mechanisms for sustainable infrastructure projects. TheCityFix Labs is an initiative of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, with support from the Citi Foundation, designed to help cities prepare, finance and implement sustainable urban projects.
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WRI México forum demonstrates that building energy efficiency in Mexico requires coordination between all levels of government
National-Subnational Collaboration for Energy Efficiency in Buildings Forum at Greenbuild Mexico. Photo by WRI México
On June 17, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Sustentabilidad para México (SUMe) organized the second annual Greenbuild Mexico International Conference in Mexico City, engaging more than 500 industry leaders and interested parties.
During the conference, SUMe in collaboration with WRI México, USGBC and WorldGBC organized the "National-Subnational Collaboration for Energy Efficiency in Buildings" forum, where federal leaders, local actors and international experts convened to advance green buildings.
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Two new WRI reports explore lessons learned from the experience of 16 cities who were early adopters of e-buses
Shenzhen, China, opperates the largest 100% electric bus fleet in the world. Photo by Green Energy Futures/Flickr
LEIPZIG, Germany (May 21, 2019) — The adoption of electric buses, mainly by municipal governments, has accelerated in recent years, increasing more than 80-fold between 2011 and 2017. But cities still have a long way to go. Investment in electric buses and other low-carbon technologies needs to double over the next two decades to keep global warming below safe thresholds, as identified by the IPCC.