Sustainability

Europe is built on steel. Although there were understandable reasons for this historically, it is becoming a problem today, as construction projects in European countries depend on carbon-intensive building materials. It’s time for a revolution in the construction industry, believes our author Dennis Pohl.
 

Berlin wants to become a “sponge city” – not a single raindrop is to be wasted. This makes the capital a pioneer in Germany when it comes to the sustainable use of rainwater.
 

In Germany hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest have already succumbed to climate change. Researchers are searching full-tilt for a climate-smart forest model – a forest that could not only withstand climate change, but also, in the best-case scenario, actually mitigate it.

The Hanseatic city of Bremen is high on the list of bike-friendly cities around the world, ranking above even Bogotá and Tokyo. But how do you go about turning a car city into a bike city? Michael Glotz-Richter from Bremen’s municipal authority reveals all.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, climate protests have mostly moved to the internet. We take a look at the environmental movements online world. 

As Europe’s Green Capital 2020, Lisbon has recently been expanding and improving public transport, reducing water and energy consumption, and greening the urban environment. But is that all that is needed to be Europe’s Green Capital?

Germany’s most sustainable towns and cities rely on the participation of their residents. Quite a lot can be achieved even with comparatively few financial resources.

We were out and about in Antwerp and Brussels, and talked to experts about sustainable transport in the two cities. What are the most urgent issues in relation to sustainable transport? What good practices are there in your city? Where do you see your city in terms of sustainable transport in 2030?

More and more people live outside the major urban centres. But how easy is it to reach the inner cities of Europe from the surrounding regions – without a car? A self-test.

Artists and producers from the music scene are actively interested in environmental conservation. Some question whether preventing plastic waste at festivals and concerts is enough though when the travel involved in touring itself produces tons of CO2.

Anyone in search of a deep, refreshing lungful of fresh air should probably head to the mountains or the seaside. A big city is unlikely to offer prime quality air. More and more German cities are taking measures to clean up the air.

Carbon offset schemes promise to compensate for the emissions caused by private individuals – as air travellers, for instance – with donations to climate projects. But are they not just a way of salving guilty consciences?  

Piesteritz Garden City was revolutionary when it was built 100 years ago. As Germany’s largest car-free housing estate, it could still serve as a model settlement today – if its continued existence were not under threat.