Some measures and actions demand tons of work. Yet there are some climate actions very easy to implement in your city to make a difference! Those quick wins are an ideal way to have an impact on short term and to emphasize your efforts.
To make life a little easier, we listed 6 of those kind of actions below for you.👇
1. Optimize tire pressure of your municipal fleet
Although it's extremely easy to resolve, lots of cars have a wrong tire pressure. Why it's important? Tires are the only point of contact between a car and the road. Setting the right pressure not only increases safety, it also reduces your fuel costs!
An optimized tire pressure can save up to 150 euros of fuel a year. Start off with your municipal fleet for the safety of your employees, your wallet and the environment! This way, you'll be an example for your citizens to do the same.
Find more information on tire pressure here.
Not sure how to check and correct your tire pressure? Check out this step by step manual.
2. Dim your public lighting
Public lighting goes often on at 3 AM, when barely anyone is on the road. All the wasted electricity is going to cost you a lot of money.
That's why it would be a smart move to dim your public lighting to 30% after midnight. Your eyes can't tell the difference and you're still saving your local commune a lot of money. Another option is to just turn off the lighting in several places at night.
Other cities and communes have already made this switch. FutureproofedCities user Courtrai saves 113.8 tons of CO2 and €85.329 each year!
3. Join Veggie Thursday
For each hamburger we eat, at least 1 kg of animal food and 1.500 liters of water is used. That's why on Thursdays, you could choose a vegetarian meal. This doesn't have to be ordinary! Go for an Eastern wok, a vegetarian pasta or a homemade falafel burger.
You can easily apply this into your city administration by only serving vegetarian meals on Thursdays. Not only will you reinforce the green image of your policy, but you will also give the good example to your citzens to do the same. And don't forget to communicate about it to your inhabitants!
Check out the efforts of our client Ghent for more inspiration.
4. Use Bike to Work
Bike To Work supports employers that stimulate their employees to go to work by... wait for it: bike 🚴🏻♂️😉. Both your city council and companies can easily implement this action.
Bicycle-using employees will receive a kilometer allowance. And through Bike to Work they will receive a bike point for each day they use their bicycle.
💡 Idea: set up partnerships with local shops and bars to let them exchange their earned points for cool benefits, like they do in Bologna.
Over 235 employers already joined the Bike to work community! Read more about it here.
5. Choose for LED lighting
Do you have a couple of lamps in your municipal buildings that might need to be replaced soon? Despite the slightly higher price of LED lamps, they have many benefits. The investment will be re-earned real quick because they consume very little energy and have a long lifespan.
6. Use smart energy meters
Smart energy meters register the gas and electricity use. Since you get immediate feedback, you can detect abnormal use and leakage very fast. It will also allow people to be more conscious about their energy use.
The smart meters will give you a clear overview, so you can influence your energy use and spot high consuming appliances. Apply this into your municipal buildings to save energy costs. This will allow you to be an example for local companies, too.
Some more information on smart meters? Read about it here.
This summary gives you an idea on how to get an impact with a relatively low amount of work. Which ones does your commune already apply already today?
FutureproofedCities helps cities and regions to engage their citizens to participate on climate action. Interested how it might help you? Have a look.
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