UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers his keynote speech at the C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen... Read More

Kolkata on Thursday won prestigious C40 awards for city's green mobility at C40 World Mayor Summit in Copenhagen . Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the seven winners of the 2019 C40 Cities.

Chosen for the concrete impact they are making in their communities, each of these seven winning cities are formidable examples of what leadership looks like in building an innovative, resilient, and inclusive future.

Representing the most ambitious and impactful projects by mayors to tackle the global climate crisis, the sixth annual 'C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards' celebrated the best projects across seven categories that define this year’s theme – The Future We Want :

1. The future we want is resilient – Awarded to Medellín, Colombia for its Avenida Oriental Green Corridors

2. The future we want relies on green mobility – Awarded to Kolkata, India for its Low Carbon Commute Transition

3. The future we want runs on renewable energy – Awarded to Seoul, South Korea for its Solar City Expansion

4. The future we want engages all citizens – Awarded to Accra, Ghana for its Informal Waste Collection Expansion

5. The future we want breathes clean air – Awarded to London, UK for its Ultra-Low Emission Zone

6. The future we want requires transformative change – Awarded to San Francisco, USA for its CleanPowerSF program

7. The future we want uses green technologies – Awarded to Guangzhou, China for its Expansive Bus Electrification

Worldwide, cities account for about 70% of all greenhouse gas emissions, making them uniquely positioned to have a significant impact in the fight against climate change. The '2019 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies' winners exemplify climate leadership at this crucial municipal level – from electrifying city bus fleets in Kolkata and Guangzhou, to integrating informal waste collectors in Accra, to installing solar panels throughout Seoul – the winning cities have responded to the challenges of climate change with actionable steps to reduce emissions, improve public health, boost local economies, and make cities more efficient and livable for residents. As climate change increasingly threatens communities around the world, cities will continue to play a critical role in the fight against global climate catastrophe. These seven cities are helping lead the way.

“The winners of the C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards are evidence of the incredible efforts that cities around the world are delivering to address the global climate emergency,” said Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris and Chair of C40. “These projects should be studied by mayors and city leaders as they each define the future we want in our cities.”

“Cities are on the front lines of the climate crisis, and they are leading the attack,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, C40 board president, UN secretary-general’s special envoy for Climate Action, and mayor of New York City 2002-2013. “Today, we’re glad to recognise seven winning cities for their ambitious work, which is already reducing emissions, cleaning the air, and protecting people’s health. Their efforts will help spur more action on climate change across the world.”

Finalists for the '2019 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards' were selected from projects featured in Cities 100, which showcases 100 of this year’s most forward-thinking and inclusive climate action projects from around the world. Cities100 is a collaboration between C40 and Nordic Sustainability and is funded by the Danish philanthropic association Realdania.

