Created by the WWF Network three years ago, the Earth Hour: City Challenge initiative is a way to go beyond the mobilization generated by the global movement, achieving concrete commitments to reduce the impact of humans on the climate. Cities from 13 countries were invited to report relevant data, plans and actions regarding their carbon emissions in the carbonn City Climate Registry, managed by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability.

For the first time, Brazil is involved and has three finalists: Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. Five other cities – Betim, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Fortaleza, and Sorocaba – which have interesting projects aimed at sustainable urban development, also competed. In addition to Brazil in South America, Colombia is also participating in the Challenge and is represented by two finalists, one of them being the city of Medellín. The Colombian municipality stands out for being an innovative city at the national level and for its integrated transportation system that uses clean fuels.

This year, the global focus of the competition was on investments that benefit the restructuring of energy matrices, in a movement that prioritizes clean energy sources over those originating from fossil fuels. In addition to Brazilian and Colombian municipalities, cities from Belgium, Canada, South Korea, Denmark, the United States, Finland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Norway, and Sweden are competing in this edition of the challenge.

The finalist cities are evaluated, based on technical criteria, by an international jury of experts. The announcement of the Global Capital of Earth Hour will take place at the end of March in Vancouver, Canada. In addition to the city chosen by the jury, one city will be selected by popular vote. The finalists can be voted on at the global website We Love Cities. Besides choosing their favorite, internet users can also submit suggestions for improvements that will be delivered to each of the contest participants.

“One of the first criteria chosen for the participation of cities in Brazil was that they had at least one initial assessment of greenhouse gas emissions. This competition draws attention precisely to the need for cities to make an effort to assess their municipal management, because in addition to generating a clear environmental gain, it is also fundamental for public health. São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte, the three finalist cities, also have other sustainable initiatives not directly related to climate change. With the Cities Challenge, we can also highlight these other activities,” says Michael Becker, Superintendent of Conservation at WWF-Brazil.

The annual challenge to cities aims to stimulate the creation and dissemination of best practices for mitigating and adapting to climate change through ambitious, holistic, inspiring, and feasible plans for low-carbon development. This year, the global focus of the competition was on investments to benefit the restructuring of energy matrices, in a movement that prioritizes clean energy sources over those originating from fossil fuels.

“On the ICLEI platform, which is open and keeps information available to everyone, cities can enter data on their greenhouse gas emission inventories, their commitments to emission reductions or related to renewable energy and energy efficiency, and their actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change,” explains Bruna Cerqueira, Project and Membership Coordinator of ICLEI – Secretariat for South America.

By participating in the “Earth Hour Cities Challenge,” Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo have the opportunity to disseminate information about their actions to combat climate change to different audiences on a globally recognized platform that adheres to global climate reporting standards, making their data internationally comparable.

See below what each of these cities did to reach the national final:

Belo Horizonte

Known as the country's solar capital for having an area of solar energy capture panels eight times larger than the national average, this city in Minas Gerais was one of the first to create a Deputy Secretariat for the Environment. Currently, it has a Municipal Council for the Environment and a Municipal Committee for Eco-efficiency and Climate Change. Among the issues addressed is solid waste management. The city has a treatment plant capable of collecting methane gas and transforming it into energy that is traded on the international credit market and with CEMIG (Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais).

“Regarding carbon emissions, we know that urban mobility is the main culprit in Belo Horizonte according to our inventory. Therefore, we are implementing five BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) corridors, which will be ready by the end of March 2014 and will remove a third of the fleet currently circulating in the city center. In addition, we have replaced all the city's traffic light bulbs with LED equivalents, which generates energy efficiency,” assesses Rodrigo Perpétuo, Deputy Municipal Secretary of International Relations.

BH, as it is affectionately known, also has extensive work with waste pickers and operates a recycling plant for construction debris. According to the Secretary, being a finalist in the Cities Challenge is recognition that the public policies implemented in relation to sustainable development are on the right track. Like any large metropolis, the goal is ambitious, but the Cities Challenge generates encouragement for the city government and fills citizens with pride.

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro's survival is not solely driven by major events (such as the Olympics, the World Cup, or World Youth Day). The city is also a benchmark in the area of climate change and already has three Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories. In 2011, the Climate Change Policy was established, setting ambitious emission reduction targets for 2016 (16%) and 2020 (20%).

To achieve these goals, the city is relying on a restructuring of its public transportation model, with BRT bus corridors and BRS buses, which operate in exclusive lanes and at fixed points along the main roads of the South Zone, Downtown, and Tijuca. This reduces the number of cars on the streets and decreases traffic. The subway construction and the expansion of the cycle path network will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as will the Seropédica Waste Treatment Center, which allowed the closure of the Gramacho landfill.

“The Cities Challenge comes at an excellent time. This mobilization is important because it allows for greater awareness, debate, and alerts society to the major challenges we are facing, such as pockets of poverty, climate change, and transportation. I am very pleased with this effort, and the city of Rio de Janeiro is working to be one of those chosen as the National Capital of Earth Hour, if not now, then in the near future,” says Nelson Moreira Franco, Sustainability Manager of the Rio de Janeiro City Hall.

In partnership with WRI, C40 and ICLEI, Rio de Janeiro participated in meetings to create a global standard for carbon emissions inventory, which is still in the testing phase.

São Paulo

A pioneer in Brazil when it comes to specific climate legislation, the city of São Paulo is currently focused on improving urban mobility, with objectives established by the 2013-2016 Goals Plan. Among these are the planting of 900,000 native tree seedlings and environmental training for 170,000 citizens. Having completed a greenhouse gas inventory in 2005, it will finalize its second such inventory in January 2014.

The Municipal Climate Change Policy, enacted in 2009, includes among its guidelines the "promotion of the use of renewable energies and the gradual replacement of fossil fuels with others that have a lower potential for greenhouse gas emissions, excluding nuclear energy," as well as, for example, prioritizing public transportation over individual transportation.

“This selection of São Paulo as one of the finalists for 'Earth Hour: The City Challenge' is important because of the city's dynamism, being one of the largest in the world. Any action in the environmental area brings better quality of life to the population. São Paulo has many pollution problems, therefore, the more we work on these issues, the more we will gain in all sectors,‘ assesses Evaldo Reis, Director of the Department of Parks and Green Areas of the Secretariat of Green and Environment.

And São Paulo is truly facing the challenge. In addition to the projects mentioned, there is also the vehicle inspection program, important for controlling car emissions, and the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan, which addresses recycling and reverse logistics.