November 17, 2022 (Berlin): 21 cities in Europe are today named as leaders for their environmental transparency and action.[1] Published by CDP, the non-profit which runs the world’s environmental disclosure system, the 2022 CDP Cities A List includes capitals Athens, Madrid, Oslo and Paris, plus major hubs like Barcelona, The Hague, Florence, Malmö and Porto.
To score A, cities must meet several criteria showing climate transparency and action. Cities must disclose environmental data publicly through the CDP-ICLEI Track system, have a city-wide emissions inventory, and a climate action plan.
All A List cities have renewable energy targets and, in a move towards aligning with science-based climate targets, emissions reduction targets that include a long-term (by 2050) net-zero goal or a mid-term target aligned with a fair share contribution of limiting warming to 1.5˚C.
Cities on CDP’s A List must also have completed a climate risk and vulnerability assessment (CRVA) - and have published a climate adaptation plan to show how they tackle climate risks.
CDP data shows that 4 in 5 cities face hazards such as extreme heat and flooding. Almost a third (28%) report that climate hazards threaten the vast majority (70%) of their people. And 25% face high-risk hazards expected to get worse by 2025.
For the first time, this year over 1,000 cities were scored by CDP, including over 100 in Europe. 12% of cities were scored A, while close to half of all cities globally (43%) are new to the A List.
Globally, the list of top-performing cities spans every continent and includes, for the first time, several cities in the Global South - often among those most affected by climate and nature impacts. Mumbai joined CDP’s A List, the first time an Indian city has earned an A, while cities like Lima (Peru), Quito (Ecuador), Yaoundé (Cameroon), Amman (Jordan) and Kadıköy (Turkey) also joined the list of leaders.
Mirjam Wolfrum, Director Policy Engagement, Europe at CDP, said:
“I am delighted to see so many major cities across Europe stepping up and taking their role in the climate crisis seriously. COP27 has reminded us that a wholesale transformation of our economy and society is needed to keep us within the 1.5-degree limit. We are nearly out of time, and these cities are leading by taking meaningful, science-based and effective action: to contribute their fair share and deliver greener, more liveable cities for European citizens. I hope these examples raise the bar for climate and nature action, and help show that with greater climate ambition comes more thriving, equitable, and healthy urban environments.”
CDP A List Cities in Europe: Athens, Bærum, Barcelona, Braga, Florence, Guimarães, Helsingør, Lahti, Madrid, Malmö, Mannheim, Oslo, Oulu, Paris, Porto, Tampere, The Hague, Trondheim, Turku, Vantaa, Vitoria-Gasteiz.[2]
Cities on CDP’s Cities A List report taking more than three times as many mitigation and adaptation measures as non-A List cities, such as:
- Athens: installing solar systems on 50 schools to cover 110% of their energy needs.
- Paris: renovating 1 million dwellings by 2050 and targets that 50% of construction sites are ‘zero waste to landfill’ by 2030, part of the city’s circular economy drive.
- Porto: where the city’s 46-gigawatt (Gwh) electricity contract for all municipal infrastructure is 100% renewable.
- Oslo: which simulates the impacts of extreme rain (cloudbursts) to inform its local development and floodway construction.
- The Hague: which, expecting up to 30cm in further sea level rises, invests in a unique nature-based solution at Zandmotor beach to keep the west of the Netherlands above water.
-ENDS-
Notes to editor
- The full list of A List cities globally is published here: https://www.cdp.net/en/cities/cities-scores
About CDP
CDP is a global non-profit that runs the world’s environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions. Founded in 2000 and working with more than 680 financial institutions with over $130 trillion in assets, CDP pioneered using capital markets and corporate procurement to motivate companies to disclose their environmental impacts, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Nearly 20,000 organizations around the world disclosed data through CDP in 2022, including more than 18,700 companies worth half of global market capitalization, and over 1,100 cities, states and regions. Fully TCFD aligned, CDP holds the largest environmental database in the world, and CDP scores are widely used to drive investment and procurement decisions towards a zero carbon, sustainable and resilient economy. CDP is a founding member of the Science Based Targets initiative, We Mean Business Coalition, The Investor Agenda and the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative. Visit cdp.net or follow us @CDP to find out more.
Media contact
- Joshua Snodin, [email protected] / Mona Monzer, [email protected]
[1] Includes cities in the European Economic Area.
[2] The full list of A List cities globally is published here.