Bogotá, Colombia has emerged as a global climate leader through its implementation of sustainable mobility, clean energy, and urban planning initiatives under the Urban Climate Action Programme (UCAP) Climate Action Implementation (CAI) Programme. The city's achievements include the Public Pedestrian Policy, urban energy governance model, and La Rolita electric transport system with a focus on gender equity, all contributing to its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. By aligning public policy, financing, gender focus, and technical capacity, Bogotá has positioned itself as a regional leader in climate and social innovation in Latin America. The city's commitment to reducing emissions, strengthening capacities, and building a more sustainable and inclusive urban future serves as a milestone in equitable, sustainable mobility and inclusive climate action. International cooperation and high-impact projects are emphasized as key components in promoting a sustainable and equitable future for Bogotá's residents.
Category: Buildings & Electricity
Cut Emissions:
– Enhance Efficiency
– Shift Energy Sources
-
Singapore and Sweden Strengthen Energy Partnership at SIEW 2025
The Energy Market Authority of Singapore and the Swedish government have established a bilateral energy forum to enhance clean energy cooperation, focusing on areas such as hydrogen supply chains, grid technologies, energy efficiency, and cross-border electricity trading. The partnership includes the deployment of HVDC transmission technology to integrate into the ASEAN Power Grid architecture. Challenges include significant financial commitments for HVDC interconnection and hydrogen infrastructure development, with success measured by tangible outcomes like project finance commitments and operational hydrogen supply chains. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch emphasize the strategic significance of the forum in advancing innovation and accelerating the green transition towards a sustainable energy future.
-
Putting people at the heart of cities, key to improving urban life
Bogotá, Colombia is at the forefront of smart city initiatives, focusing on creating fairer, greener, and more inclusive urban spaces through digital transformation, mobility, and sustainability efforts. The city's approach prioritizes people-centered solutions like the TransMilenio bus system and Ciclovía car-free community spaces, showcasing how technology can enhance quality of life and strengthen community bonds. Keynote speaker Carlo Ratti advocates for cities to evolve into "senseable cities" that prioritize people over technology and prioritize reuse, retrofitting, and transformation in the face of the climate emergency. Bogotá's efforts align with a global conversation on sustainable and inclusive urbanization, emphasizing collaboration, learning, and a shared commitment to a more equitable urban future.
-
Cambridge scientists discover photovoltaic properties in organic radical semiconductor
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered photovoltaic properties in an organic semiconductor molecule called P3TTM, which has an "open-shell" character due to unpaired electrons, allowing for efficient photon-to-charge conversion in solar cells. The new material enables the fabrication of solar cells from a single, low-cost, lightweight material, potentially increasing overall efficiency. The findings were published in the study "Intrinsic intermolecular photoinduced charge separation in organic radical semiconductors" in Nature Materials, highlighting a promising advancement in solar cell technology for climate solutions experts.
-
Illinois Passes Clean Energy Bill Expected to Save Residents $13 Billion
Illinois legislators have passed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, which is expected to lead to the buildout of 3 gigawatts of battery storage and the creation of a Virtual Pilot Program. The bill aims to save Illinois families and businesses $13 billion on their electricity bills over the next 20 years. The Solar Energy Industries Association praised the bill for its focus on solar, storage, and a Virtual Power Plant program, which will create jobs and empower Illinois residents. Governor Pritzker is expected to sign the bill into law, showcasing Illinois as a leader in clean energy policy.
-
New energy innovators emerge as the big winners from stunning success of battery rebate scheme
The federal government's battery rebate scheme has been a success, with over 105,000 new installations and 2 gigawatt hours of storage in four months. SigEnergy and Amber are emerging as winners in the market, offering lower cost technology and smart controls for consumers. Both companies are focusing on combining solar PV, battery storage, EV charging, and vehicle-to-grid technology to meet consumer needs. The growth in battery storage through federal rebate schemes is exceeding expectations, with around one in five rebate recipients signing up for retail offerings like Amber's. Plans are in place for V2G technology to become more widespread by 2030, potentially leading to many households becoming grid independent.
-
The Built Environment reimagined: What trees can teach us about design
Andrés Mitnik, CEO of Strong by Form, is pioneering wood-based composites that mimic how trees grow to create lightweight, low-carbon materials for buildings, furniture, and vehicles. The company's breakthrough material, Woodflow®, uses digital modeling and robotic forming to create three-dimensional wood composites that are 90% natural material yet rival steel in performance. By learning from trees, Strong by Form is able to create thin yet powerful composites that can replace carbon-intensive materials in various structures. Collaboration is a key design principle for the company, working with scientists, engineers, and architects to ensure new technologies can be safely scaled and adopted. The interconnectedness of nature and innovation, highlighted by the Biomimicry Institute's AskNature Hive, emphasizes the importance of learning from nature to drive sustainable practices and create energy-efficient and restorative spaces in the Built Environment. The partnership between One Earth and the Biomimicry Institute focuses on collaboration across science, design, and local action to accelerate progress towards a thriving planet by working together with each other and with the natural world.
-
China Dives in on the World’s First Wind-Powered Undersea Data Center
The UDC project in Shanghai is a model of environmental sustainability, utilizing offshore wind turbines to generate over 95% of its electricity and reducing energy consumption by 22.8%. The unique wind resources of the East China Sea support this initiative, which also reduces land usage by over 90% and eliminates the need for fresh water. Shanghai's goal to become a global innovation hub includes plans for further development in the cloud computing industry, with the UDC project serving as a stepping stone towards a larger offshore wind-powered project in the future.
https://www.wired.com/story/china-dives-in-on-the-worlds-first-wind-powered-undersea-data-center/
-
C40 cities on track for 50 million good green jobs by 2030 as mayors deliver on World Mayors Summit job creation pledge
C40 Cities are committed to delivering 50 million green jobs by 2030, with a focus on inclusive economic growth and city-led climate action. The recent data highlights the importance of creating good green jobs in sectors like waste management, construction, transport, and energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve well-being. Mayors are accelerating investments in sustainable initiatives and working towards a just transition, recognizing the central role of cities in driving global climate and economic progress. Efforts are being made to address gender and equity gaps in green jobs, with a focus on providing fair wages, safe working conditions, and stable employment for all workers. The World Mayors Summit in Rio de Janeiro will further emphasize the need to scale up finance for city-led climate action and strengthen skills training to drive the transition to a green economy.
-
EVChaja Looks To Scale Its Electric Corporate Shuttle & B2B Electric Van Service In Kenya
Kenyan company EVChaja is expanding its electric van operations and charging network to establish a 100% electric staff transport network, integrating solar-powered charging and AI-based route optimization. The country's electric vehicle market is growing, with a 300% rise in electric mobility consumption and a goal of 100% renewable energy generation by 2030. By accelerating the adoption of electric mobility, Kenya can reduce CO2 emissions, decrease its fuel import bill, and decrease its heavy reliance on fossil fuel imports through utilizing excess energy from geothermal plants for overnight charging of electric vehicles. This shift towards locally generated renewable electricity could significantly advance Kenya's electric mobility sector and decrease its trade deficit.