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🗞️ Driving the news: A groundbreaking study in Nature Climate Change heralds the potential of urban green solutions not just as carbon trappers, but as active reducers of carbon emissions
• If European cities lean into these findings, they could achieve net-zero carbon emissions within a mere decade
🔭 The context: While cities are major carbon emitters, a collaborative study from top institutions such as KTH Royal Institute of Technology, MIT, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, underscores the dual importance of phasing out fossil fuels and integrating urban greenery to achieve carbon neutrality
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Urban greenery, from park installations to rooftop gardens, offers more than just aesthetic value; it substantially reduces carbon footprints by offsetting emissions and actively reducing the amounts released
⏭️ What's next: While cities globally have dabbled in nature-based solutions (NBS), the emphasis needs to shift from simply using them as emission offsets to strategizing their optimal deployment for active emission reduction
💬 One quote: “There are many studies that examine the effects of individual nature-based solutions, but this merges all of them and analyzes the potential systemic effect” (Zahra Kalantari, KTH Royal Institute of Technology)
📈 One stat: Implementing the study’s recommendations in Berlin alone could slash emissions by 6% for residences, 13% in industry, and a whopping 14% in transportation
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