The Swedish town of Uppsala has been named global climate city of the year by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which said that more cities should follow its example.

An international jury selected Uppsala for the title out of 132 cities from 23 countries across the globe, highlighting the city's strong approach to climate policy and high targets set.

These include the goal of fossil-free local transport and energy by 2030, and investments in infrastructure for electric cars, climate-friendly housing and transport in newly built residential areas. The city has also launched local campaigns raising awareness among residents on how and why to follow a climate-aware lifestyle.

 "It's not enough to do a little here and a little there," Sabina Andrén from the WWF said, explaining the decision. "Uppsala shows strong leadership and takes real action with climate issues. We are now calling on other cities in the world to look at Uppsala as a model to follow."

According to the jury, if just two out of ten of the world's cities implemented Uppsala's policies, global CO2 emissions could decrease by 58,000,000 tonnes a year. That amount is equivalent to the total annual emissions in all of Sweden.

It is the first time that a Swedish city has received the award, which is given out every two years. Uppsala is also one of the smallest cities to receive the title, previously held mostly by capitals including Paris and Seoul.

The jury, selected by WWF, included international experts in issues such as city planning, infrastructure and sustainable development.

Source: thelocal.se

Photo: Pixabay