C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) today launched a global call for submissions to the C40 Cities Awards 2016. All cities demonstrating leadership in climate action are encouraged to apply for a chance to be recognised in the world’s foremost sustainability awards.
The fourth-annual C40 Cities Awards are being held in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies. A ceremony announcing the winners of the 2016 Awards will take place in Mexico City at the C40 Mayors Summit in December 2016.
“The C40 Awards, now in their fourth year, are the pre-eminent global awards recognising the efforts of cities and mayors taking action on climate change,” said C40 Chair and Rio de Janeiro Mayor, Eduardo Paes. “In previous years, the panel of independent judges have rewarded not only the efforts of widely recognised climate leaders but also hidden champions and innovators for their outstanding performance that has been achieved with small budgets or in difficult environments. I have no doubt that 2016 will be just as exciting.”
“The C40 awards celebrate the most innovative work cities are doing to confront climate change, and they help great ideas spread by putting them in the spotlight for the world to see,” said UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change and C40 Board President, Michael R. Bloomberg. “As national governments work to reach the goals they set at the Paris climate summit, C40 cities are helping to lead the way.”
Applications to the C40 Cities Awards 2016 are divided into 10 categories that recognise the diversity and range of urban initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, address climate change and mitigate its negative impacts on citizens. Categories include Clean Energy; Adaptation in Action; Transportation; Social Equity & Climate Change, and others.
Winners in 2015 included Stockholm’s Royal Seaport, a major urban development project to create one of the most sustainable urban communities in Europe, which won in the Sustainable Communities category. In the Transportation category, the Chinese city of Nanjing was recognised for efforts to promote electric vehicles including the roll out of 1,208 electric buses and 940 electric taxis across the city. Johannesburg won in the Finance & Economic Development category for The Green Bond, which provides funding for sustainability projects in the city. As the first green bond to be listed on a stock exchange, and the first by any C40 city, the project is pioneering a new approach to the financing of green infrastructure in South Africa and around the world.
A total of 216 projects were submitted from 94 cities for the 2015 C40 Awards. A full list of winners and finalists from the 2015 Awards can be viewed here.
City applications and third-party nominations must be submitted through the C40 website by 17th June 2016.
Notes:
C40 Cities Awards 2016 will be presented in the following categories:
1. Adaptation in Action
2. Adaptation Plans & Assessments
3. Building Energy Efficiency
4. Clean Energy
5. Climate Action Plans & Inventories
6. Finance & Economic Development
7. Social Equity & Climate Change
8. Solid Waste
9. Sustainable Communities
10. Transportation
For a full list of winning cities and their projects from 2015, visit the C40 website here.