Atlanta joins 26 other US cities, commits to run entirely on renewable energy by 2035

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By Matthew Griffin Earth and Energy 23rd May 2017

WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

One by one major US cities are committing themselves to a green future and every one of them wants to run 100 percent on renewable energy by 2035.

Earlier this month Atlanta lawmakers approved a resolution that puts the city on track to run entirely on renewable energy by 2035, something that Las Vegas achieved last year, and the first stage of the plan will involve transitioning all of the city’s government buildings to renewables by 2025.

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“We know that moving to clean energy will create good jobs, clean up our air and water, and lower our residents’ utility bills,” said city council member Kwanza Hall, “we never thought we’d be away from landline phones or desktop computers, but today we carry our smart phones around and they’re more powerful than anything we used to have, now we have to set an ambitious goal or we’re never going to get there.”

Atlanta’s commitment comes just weeks after a similar promise from the city of South Lake Tahoe, California, and twenty six other American cities, but Atlanta will be the first in Georgia to make the move, which, it has to be said makes increasing sense now that solar power is the cheapest form of energy in over 58 countries around the world.

“Just days after hundreds of thousands marched for climate action across the globe, city leaders here in Atlanta are answering the call,” said Ted Terry, director of the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club, “and today’s commitment will inspire bold, ambitious leadership from cities throughout the United States and pave the way for a healthier and stronger Atlanta.”

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For Atlanta’s part this is all now part of a growing recognition that cities across America have a significant role to play in helping turn back the clock against climate change and embrace a clean energy future – even if they don’t have much, or any, support from government, and in March, a top New York City official, who are rolling out their own renewable energy schemes, called on other officials from other cities across the US to keep fighting climate change with or without the help of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Increasingly it’s looking like the tide is starting to turn on the attitudes towards climate change and climate change action, and those tides, like the ones in Nova Scotia, are helping the US power its way into the future.

Matthew Griffin / About Author

Matthew Griffin, described as “The Adviser behind the Advisers” and a “Young Kurzweil,” is the founder and CEO of the World Futures Forum and the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures consultancy working across the next 50 years, and is an award winning futurist, and author of “Codex of the Future” series.

Regularly featured in the global media, including AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, RT, Viacom, and WIRED, Matthew’s ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of revolutionary emerging technologies on global culture, industry and society, is unparalleled. Recognised for the past six years as one of the world’s foremost futurists, innovation and strategy experts Matthew is an international speaker who helps governments, investors, multi-nationals and regulators around the world envision, build and lead an inclusive, sustainable future.

A rare talent Matthew’s recent work includes mentoring Lunar XPrize teams, re-envisioning global education and training with the G20, and helping the world’s largest organisations envision and ideate the future of their products and services, industries, and countries.

Matthew's clients include three Prime Ministers and several governments, including the G7, Accenture, Aon, Bain & Co, BCG, Credit Suisse, Dell EMC, Dentons, Deloitte, E&Y, GEMS, Huawei, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, Lego, McKinsey, PWC, Qualcomm, SAP, Samsung, Sopra Steria, T-Mobile, and many more.