“Icebergs are melting.
Forests are burning.
Storms are increasing.
The world is becoming a dangerous place.
Better stay home and redecorate.”
(Laughter)
This was the slogan
of a national advertising campaign of a home improvement company.
(Laughter)
Stay home and redecorate? Seriously?
I was very upset and so were others.
We sued the company for false advertising,
claiming that there is a lot you can do to change the situation.
I am here today to invite you to be part of this change.
The change that is taking place in cities
within three hundred meters from your very own doorstep.
Who here lives in cities?
Let’s see a show of hands.
I do, most of you do.
Most of the world’s population today is already living in cities.
By 2030, it’s going to reach 70%.
Cities create most of the world’s economic activity.
They also emit most of the world’s greenhouse gases.
So, if this is where most of our activity takes place,
shouldn’t this also be where solutions emerge?
And they do.
Sustainability,
merging needs of planet and people,
thrives in cities.
Cities like Stockholm,
Singapore,
Toronto,
they were all selected as being most sustainable
and also smartest.
But most important,
they were selected as most livable
by their very own residents.
So what is it that they do differently?
Let’s consider three aspects of the urban environment:
biking options,
recycling sites,
and green parks.
This is a map of the city of Vienna.
Here are the biking options,
here the recycling sites,
and the green parks.
Together they form a dense network.
This is the sustainability potential of Vienna.
And this is the sustainability potential of Barcelona.
These solutions are spread densely across these cities.
And now they need people to use them.
And once they do, they become part of the solution.
In fact, an average American
emits 20 tons of carbon dioxide a year,
while the average New Yorker,
who walks more, uses public transportation,
and lives in a smaller apartment,
emits only seven tons a year,
60% less than the average American.
Sustainability in these cities is simple, smart,
and forms a sustainability comfort zone within 300 meters.
Why is the sustainability comfort zone 300 meters?
Research shows that, on an average,
people feel comfortable walking for 300 meters.
More than that for some is already an effort,
and they would rather drive.
So within 300 meters
cities should offer as many options for sustainability as possible.
Because here, at your very own doorstep,
you are more likely to participate in a community garden,
to be a member of a food cooperative,
to invest time in a local energy task group.
And chances are that if you do these things
you will vote in the next local elections,
you will sign a petition to protect your coastline
and to protect your city river.
You are becoming an ambassador for the planet.
The more options there are,
the more people will join and become ambassadors of the planet.
The legendary mayor of the Brazilian city of Curitiba
realized this already 30 years ago.
He created a waste separation scheme close to home,
offering people bus tokens and food parcels
for separating their waste.
To this day, Curitiba boasts
of one of the highest rates of recycling in the world.
This was made possible
only because people were ready
to make the simple, smart change: within three hundred meters.
Another simple and smart idea comes from the city of Seoul.
They initiated a Weekly No Driving Day,
where people were encouraged
to leave their cars at home one day a week.
In return, they were offered discounts on parking, on congestion fees,
and even a free car wash.
And two million people
leave their cars at home one day a week,
walking to the nearest bus stop,
saving money and emissions
within 300 meters from home.
I have been advocating local sustainability
for more than two decades,
badgering decision makers to change policies,
to adopt ambitious targets,
to join climate protection campaigns.
And I am happy with the positive change I see.
But the most inspiring and promising change I see
is within neighborhoods,
households, communities,
along bike lanes,
within schools.
Sustainability, I learned, is like democracy:
first and foremost, by the people, and then, eventually, for the people.
And not only for the few tree huggers like myself,
but for the vast and silent majority.
So, what can you do within 300 meters from your doorstep?
Walk and bike to neighborhood activities,
make sure your home is energy efficient,
and opt for renewable energy if possible,
reduce and separate your waste.
These are just simple, easy steps to begin with.
Find out what you can do more within your neighborhood.
Reach out to the municipality
and demand more and more options for sustainable living,
close to home, or further away.
Do what you can.
Share what you do.
Become an ambassador for the planet.
Small things can make great things happen
and change the world,
even within as little as 300 meters
from your very own doorstep.
(Applause)
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