Since in 2018 Greta Thunberg began to protest against global pollution, attention to climate change has grown more than environmental movements around the world have done in twenty years. The international summits dedicated to the specific theme - by general and bizarre admission - are divided into before Greta and after Greta. The Swedish girl, now of age, continues to travel the world and to obtain acclaim especially among young and very young people. Thousands gather in city squares and parks that remain the first hotbeds of respiratory diseases, poisoning and premature deaths. According to the latest ranking drawn up by Ener2Crowd – Italian crowdfunding platform, environmental and energy financing – 25 cities in the world alone produce 52% of global pollution. The most polluted cities are metropolises that run mostly thanks to traditional energy sources that they cannot give up in a short time. They are trying, but observed under the microscope of sustainability they still have many flaws. So people don't live well.
Millions of tons of CO2 every year
Between the most polluted cities there are Moscow, Istanbul, Frankfurt, St. Petersburg, Athens, Berlin, Beijing, Tokyo, New York. The data released by Ener2Crowd actually comes from researchers at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering of China's Sun Yat-sen University. In the list of deadly cities there are many Chinese and Asian places that consume coal and oil.
However, globally the urban centers studied are responsible for 80% of energy consumption and emissions into the atmosphere. In Europe the most polluting cities are Moscow with 112 million tons of CO2 equivalent released into the atmosphere every year, Istanbul with about 73 million tons of CO2, Frankfurt, St. Petersburg, Athens, Berlin e Torino. The Piedmontese city sends 23 tons of CO2 into the air each year, conquering an unfortunate record. A figure that sounds like a slap in the face to the policies of sustainability and reduction of polluting factors practiced in recent years.
But never say never. "The most polluting Italian cities are Turin - seventh in Europe - and Piacenza which is twenty-second with 1,5 million tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere" the analysts of Ener2Crowd point out. And they also remind us that this bad data affects the health of people all over the planet. So, are we destined to live amidst smog and environmentalist rhetoric, at least until we have completely eliminated the old fossil fuels?
Polluted cities: looking for solutions
A handy solution (so to speak) can come from the cities themselves, but only if part of the rethinking of the city from a sustainable point of view, say the researchers. We are reminded of the never fully implemented “mending of the suburbs” launched by the Architect Renzo Piano few years ago. Today, however, we think more about the role of the Green Heroes, champions and protagonists of the circular economy, acclaimed ecological prophets by the actor Alessandro Gasmann. Ener2Crowd appreciates the spirit that benefits the forms of ethical finance that fight climate change.
The beyond 6 million euros raised so far they explain its success, compared to more traditional forms of investment. Furthermore, it seems that the major investors reside between Rome, Milan, Naples and Turin. Four cities that for various reasons enter the European environmental rankings. "But everyone - even in the smallest cities - can make a contribution to building a zero-emissions future, choosing green and sustainable technologies, even in their own territory" he says Niccolo Sovico, CEO of Ener2Crowd. And it is a good road that can give results in Italy. Although perhaps Greta Thunberg will not like it entirely, more accustomed to beating up the Greats.
