The City of Hamburg

Hamburg, Germany

Hamburg, a major port city in northern Germany, is the second largest city in the country. The town is connected to the North Sea by Elbe River and currently numbers a population of nearly 2 million people.

One of the ten most sustainable cities in the world, voted as the European Green Capital for 2011, the City of Hamburg is growing greener every year with the catchphrase "TAKE NOTHING BUT PICTURES, LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS." The city makes ambitious environmental plans and, more importantly, it reaches its goals. Focusing on the renewable energy sector's growth and embracing a high ecological standard are just two of them.

Hamburg is called "green waterfront city" for a reason. With forest, green and recreational spaces, nature reserves and protected landscape areas covering 44.5 percent of the metropolitan area, and a switch to climate-friendly mobility, Hamburg managed to successfully combine Industrial and Green.

Over the last decades, Hamburg has achieved outstanding environmental standards by reducing the CO2 emissions in the city on a significant scale. More specifically, an 18% reduction was achieved from 1990 to 2006, a 40% from 2006 to 2020, and by 2050, CO2 emissions are expected to be reduced by 80%.

From making urban districts greener to creating accommodation options compatible with high environmental values, Hamburg has earned its title as a pioneer in sustainable city development. Some of the city’s sustainable highlights are:

• • HafenCity: Efficient and climate-compatible urban structures, trendsetting mobility concepts, and green spaces can form a better future

• • Osaka 9 Sustainability Pavilion: When urban development becomes eco

• • Energieberg Georgswerder: From toxic waste dump to a superior example of renewable energy generation

• • The Green Network (GrünesNetzHamburg): A 100-year-old green design concept

• • The Green Roof Project: Green on top of grey is what every city needs

• • Science Center WÄLDERHAUS: A place dedicated to "Forest and Wood"

Hamburg is officially the Green City of the Year and, without a doubt, deserves this title considering that both the city and its residents continue their endeavors to preserving high ecological and sustainable standards.