

Burlington, Vermont is the first city in the U.S. to run entirely on renewable energy.
A growing list of cities and municipalities is leading a
renewable energy revolution that their national governments either cannot—or will not—address.
More than 100 cities around the world now get at least 70 percent of their electricity from renewable sources such
solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower, according to new research from the non-profit CDP. That’s more than double the 40 cities reporting they were powered by at least 70 percent clean energy in 2015.
The list includes large cities with dense populations such as Auckland, New Zealand; Nairobi, Kenya; Oslo, Norway; Seattle, USA; and Vancouver, Canada.
100+ cities worldwide now source over 70% of their electricity from renewables. Explore which cities are leading the way with our digital map: https://t.co/XPgrigyvqC #CDPcities pic.twitter.com/W3gCfZ7IOW
— CDP (@CDP) February 27, 2018
Impressively, a remarkable 43 cities, including
Burlington, Vermont; Reykjavik, Iceland; and Basel, Switzerland, are running on 100 percent renewables.
Burlington—Vermont’s largest city, with a population of 42,000 people—became the first U.S. city to run entirely on renewable electricity back in 2015. The city gets all of its electricity from wind, solar, biomass and hydropower and even has its own utility and citywide grid.
“We have seen first-hand that renewable energy boosts our local economy and creates a healthier place to work, live and raise a family,” Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger said. “We encourage other cities around the globe to follow our innovative path as we all work toward a more sustainable energy future.”
CDP, formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, holds energy information on more than 570 of the world’s cities. The research was released ahead of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change conference in Edmonton, Canada on March 5, where city governments and scientific leaders will meet on the role of cities in tackling
climate change.
In the U.S., roughly 58 cities and towns, including major metropolises like
Atlanta and San Diego, are rejecting fossil fuels and have announced plans to run entirely on clean energy.
As Trump Neglects Climate Threats, Cities Move Forward https://t.co/YnPifJBSp0 #ClimateChange @NRDC @UCSUSA @c40cities @ClimateMayors @ClimateReality @algore #climate
— EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) February 20, 2018
And with some 275 cities now reporting the use of hydropower, 189 generating electricity from wind and 184 using solar photovoltaics, CDP expects to see more cities around the globe join this important movement.
The CDP said that much of the drive behind city climate action and reporting comes from the 7,000-plus mayors that signed up to the
Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and have pledged to act on climate change.
“Cities are responsible for 70 percent of energy-related CO2 emissions and there is immense potential for them to lead on building a sustainable economy,” said Kyra Appleby, director of cities at CDP.
“Reassuringly, our data shows much commitment and ambition. Cities not only want to shift to renewable energy but, most importantly—they can. We urge all cities to disclose to us, work together to meet the goals of the
Paris Agreement and prioritize the development of ambitious renewable energy procurement strategies. The time to act is now.”
You can find CDP’s complete list below and learn more about the project
here.
Akureyri, Iceland
Alba-Iulia, Romania
Alcaldía de Córdoba, Venezuela
Angra dos Reis, Brazil
Aparecida, Brazil
Aracaju, Brazil
Arendal, Norway
Aspen, USA
Assis, Brazil
Asunción, Paraguay
Auckland , New Zealand
Bærum Kommune, Norway
Bangangté, Cameroon
Basel, Switzerland
Belém, Brazil
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Birigui, Brazil
Bogotá , Colombia
Bolzano, Italy
Braga, Portugal
Brasília, Brazil
Brotas, Brazil
Brusque, Brazil
Burlington, USA
Cabreúva, Brazil
Cajamar, Brazil
Campinas, Brazil
Campos de Goytacazes, Brazil
Canoas, Brazil
Capivari, Brazil
Cascais, Portugal
Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Cerquilho, Brazil
Chorrera, Panama
Curitiba, Brazil
Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
Estância Climática de São Bento do Sapucaí, Brazil
Estância Hidromineral de Águas de São Pedro, Brazil
Estância Turística de Guaratinguetá, Brazil
Estância Turística de ITU, Brazil
Eugene, USA
Extrema, Brazil
Fafe, Portugal
Fernandópolis, Brazil
Florianópolis, Brazil
Foumban, Cameroon
Gladsaxe Kommune, Denmark
Goiânia, Brazil
Harare, Zimbabwe
Hobart, Australia
Ibagué, Colombia
Inje , South Korea
Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Brazil
Kapiti Coast , New Zealand
Kisumu, Kenya
Lausanne, Switzerland
León de los Aldamas, Mexico
Limeira, Brazil
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Lorena, Brazil
Maceió, Brazil
Mairiporã, Brazil
Medellín, Colombia
Moita, Portugal
Montes Claros, Brazil
Montreal, Canada
Nairobi, Kenya
Nakuru, Kenya
Niterói, Brazil
North Vancouver, Canada
Nova Odessa, Brazil
Nyon, Switzerland
Oristano, Italy
Oslo, Norway
Palmas, Brazil
Porto, Portugal
Prince George, BC, Canada
Quelimane, Mozambique
Quito, Ecuador
Reykjavík, Iceland
Salvador, Brazil
Santiago de Cali, Colombia
Santos, Brazil
São Caetano, Brazil
São Gonçalo, Brazil
São João da Boa Vista, Brazil
São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
São José dos Campos, Brazil
Seattle, USA
Stadt Zürich, Switzerland
Stockholm, Sweden
Tatuí, Brazil
Temuco, Chile
Uberlândia, Brazil
Vancouver, Canada
Vinhedo, Brazil
Vitória, Brazil
Wellington, New Zealand
Winnipeg, Canada