Eco-municipality

Eco-municipality

An Eco-municipality or Sustainable City is a city designed with consideration of environmental impact, inhabited by people dedicated to minimization of required inputs of energy, water and food, and waste output of heat, air pollution - CO2, methane, and water pollution.

History

The concept of eco-municipalities originated in Sweden in the mid-1980s, with the town of Övertorneå becoming the first to adopt the model in 1983. Since then, more than 100 municipalities in Sweden have adopted the eco-municipality approach.

Principles

Eco-municipalities operate on four system conditions derived from the Natural Step framework. These conditions require that in a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing:

1. Concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth's crust
2. Concentrations of substances produced by society
3. Degradation by physical means
4. And, in that society, people are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs.

Implementation

The implementation of eco-municipality principles can vary widely depending on the specific context and needs of the municipality. However, common strategies include:

1. Reducing energy use and transitioning to renewable energy sources
2. Promoting sustainable transportation options
3. Implementing waste reduction and recycling programs
4. Encouraging local, sustainable food production
5. Protecting and restoring natural habitats

Examples

Several cities around the world have adopted the eco-municipality model, including:

1. Madison, Wisconsin, USA
2. Freiburg, Germany
3. Växjö, Sweden

See also

• Sustainable city
• Urban ecology
• Green city