Cities that are getting at least 70% of their total electricity from renewable energy sources have doubled since 2015.
CPD, a not-for-profit environmental impact researcher, found that 101 of the more than 570 cities on its books sourced at least 70% of their electricity from renewable sources in 2017, compared to 42 in 2015.
CPD, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, provides a full list of renewable energy cities from Auckland to Nairobi to Seattle. The research shows a comprehensive picture of what cities are doing with their energy.
In total, some 184 cities now have solar energy in their electricity mix, while 189 report that they source wind energy.
Successful cities have chosen to do things differently, each making use of their specific geographies to harness the power of renewables. Some have taken full advantage of abundant sources of geothermal energy to supply electrical grids and heat networks whereas others have focused more on energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon reduction projects. This indicates there is no set answer for the best way to achieve renewable energy.
Nicolette Bartlett, CDP's director of climate change, attributed the increase to both more cities reporting to CDP as well as a global shift towards renewable energy.
"Reassuringly, our data shows much commitment and ambition," she said in a statement. "Cities not only want to shift to renewable energy, but, most importantly – they can."
