Which Is The Most Eco-Friendly City On Earth?

1. Pollution in the world is increasing every day, and we all know it well.
2. We also very well know how this pollution is contaminating the air, water, almost the whole environment at a staggering rate.
3. Have you ever thought, the way we are polluting these natural heritages, it will come back to us only by becoming even more hazardous for our well-being on earth in the years to come?
4. Moreover, it's not the story of one or two countries but that the whole world is experiencing this state of decay.
5. If adequate measures are not taken quickly, we are on the verge of a global catastrophe that if made our lands inhabitable, we should not be wondering why.
6. Let's have a sneak peek at a few facts & figures related to the extent of global and Indian pollution.

Statistics of Pollution in India and the World: Let's Talk Numbers!

• Air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year

• 24% of all estimated global deaths are linked to the environment
• Besides increased morbidity rates and a shortened life expectancy, poor air quality can have deleterious effects on a person's health causing respiratory illnesses that negatively impact the quality of life.
• India's emissions had increased from 1.1 metric tons of carbon dioxide per capita in 2001 to 1.8 metric tons in 2016
• In 2019, with more than 12 million people influenced, arsenic was the chief contaminant of groundwater in India.
• As per Niti Aayog, overall, 70 percent of the freshwater sources in the country were found to be contaminated and India ranks 120 out of 122 countries in terms of water quality
• According to 2016 estimates, India generated about 270 million tons of annual municipal solid waste, which was about 13 percent of the global waste. This is projected to increase to 543 million tons in 2050.
• The secondary particles had the highest contribution to particle pollution (PM2.5) during winter in Delhi, India in 2019. Secondary particles originate from sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions from vehicles, power plants, and refineries. Delhi had often experienced severe levels of poor air quality in recent months.

What Does Pollution Data Tell Us?

1. The data above looks scary, isn't it?
2. However, losing hope isn't a solution, and that if we still strive to get these numbers back on track, we can.
3. Many cities from across the world are not just fighting back in such trying times but are also able to achieve the targets.
4. The illustrious job they are doing to save our mother earth inspires us to play our parts well in reversing the damages we have caused to the environment.
5. These are mainly called environmentally-friendly or eco-friendly cities of the world.

6. Some of the most eco-friendly cities of the world are Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Berlin, and Portland of which Copenhagen tops the chart.

Why is Copenhagen, Denmark the Most Eco-friendly City on Earth?

The first and foremost thing Copenhagen does to be environmentally friendly is choosing renewable and sustainable resources over exhaustible energy sources. The city also won one of the most prestigious European Environmental Awards in 2006 for sustaining clean waterways and being a leader in environmental planning. The water quality warning system installed by the city helps them track and check the pollution levels.

The entire country works religiously towards making the environment cleaner and greener. In 2015, windmills generated 140% of Copenhagen's electricity that made them export energy to Germany, Norway, and Sweden also. Not just that, the city is working relentlessly towards its mission to become the first CO2-neutral city by 2025.
With cycling being the number one choice for commuting, for every one car the city Copenhagen has five bikes on the road. The city has more than 100 bike riding centres in its many different parts. It also offers a bike-sharing scheme. The green cities like Copenhagen depict how important it is for the city administration and the citizens to work in cohesion for making things happen.

What Can We Learn From Copenhagen?

1. A city to be eco-friendly like Copenhagen requires all its citizens to act responsibly and switch to a lifestyle that should cause the least harm to the environment.
2. The government can make innumerable policies and enforce those for encouraging & providing for sustainable lifestyles.
3. However, without the citizens' support, even the government cannot achieve such big targets.
4. If all the citizens in a city will live a sustainable lifestyle, it will result in green footprints making the world around cleaner & greener.
5. What makes a city eco-friendly is creating and executing an active strategy towards being environmentally friendly and addressing the climate change situation.
6. The entire administration of the city along with the citizens, should work together towards making the earth greener.
7. On the administration's part, implementing things like community parks, bike lanes, improvement in water quality, recycling programs, etc. could be done to achieve a sustainable lifestyle in the city.  
8. On the citizens' part, they should try to avoid fuel vehicles or do carpooling as much as possible, switch to renewable energies like solar energy, stop littering garbage on roads, and so on.
9. Joined together, the local government and the citizens can make the city greener through a sustainable lifestyle and sustenance.
10. Certainly, if so many cities can achieve such targets, it should not be impossible for Indian cities too.
11. All we need is to realise how crucial it has become to have a sustainable lifestyle and put all our efforts towards achieving such targets for our cities as well.

Wrap Up

It's true that if we want to become as eco-friendly as the city Copenhagen is, we have to follow the unambiguous code of conduct the environmentally friendly cities do. Our cities will have to make considerable efforts in reducing their overall carbon footprint. At the same time, they will have to invest in such environmentally friendly projects that allow humans to live life as sophisticatedly as they have been and yet play their parts for a greener earth. It's not that it's not possible. Everything is possible with the judicious management of resources that are already at our disposal. The most primary step in the judicious management of resources is switching to sustainable resources than relying on fossil-fuels.

Becoming a green city like Copenhagen requires shared efforts from both the government and the citizen and if it gets, the result is not just an eco-friendly but even a modern city. Who would not want to be a part of a modern city? So what you give to the world comebacks to you either way. You give green footprints you get to live in a beautiful & greener city, and you give carbon footprints you get to live in a city that's not at all healthy for your well-being. Adopting sustainable resources and living an environmentally friendly life will not only help you but will make the world a better place to live for your offspring too. Remember, nature does not need us more than we need it and so better play our parts in making the world greener.

Also read:

1) How to Make Online Business More Eco-Friendly?
2) Which is More Ecological: Wood or Plastic?
3) Eco-Friendly Business Ideas for Small Business Owners
4) How to Build an Eco-Friendly House?