Since my first day in Bilbao, Spain, sustainability has stood out to me. On the bus to my new home, my host mom (Carmen) shared the incentives and regulations the city has put in place to work towards a more sustainable future. As she held one of my suitcases, Carmen pointed at the window giving me a rundown of the city. 

Public transportation here is easy to use and affordable, making it accessible for everyone. This is important to me as I believe in protecting the environment, and I want to make sure my travel practices respect and support local cultures.

I get around primarily by public transport or by taking a nice walk. Although I’ve had to take planes throughout my study abroad journey, I’m aware that my carbon footprint isn’t perfect, and I’m working to minimize it as much as I can. 

Bilbao has also ranked highly on the Global Destination Sustainability Index due to its approach to sustainability across sectors, which includes public and private partnerships, emphasizing environmental, social, and economic aspects.  

Along the way, I’ve captured some snapshots of eco-friendly signs and transportation modes, hoping to document Bilbao’s efforts toward a greener future.

 

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Part of the reason I chose to study in Copenhagen was the city’s commitment to environmental sustainability, and I have not been disappointed by what I have seen. Three of the worlds leading architectural firms, BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), 3XN, and Christensen & Co are all based in Denmark and their projects in the city are truly breathtaking. Copenhagen is currently on track to be one of the first carbon neutral cities in the world (with the goal of 2025), and this has largely been made possible by these green construction works. I have had such a pleasure exploring these sustainability landmarks. Here are some of the highlights; 

• The Green lighthouse, designed by Christensen & Co, was Denmarks first carbon neutral building, and was a beautiful addition to the Copenhagen University campus in 2009, inspired by the COP15 talks in Copenhagen with the landmark 2° C of warming limit. 
• CopenHill, designed by BIG, is a waste to energy plant that provides power to 150,000 homes within the city, as well as being a recreational green space where people can ski, rock climb, and hike.
• Ørestad is a relatively newly developed neighborhood that focuses entirely on sustainable architecture. It is on the boarder of the Amager nature preserve, and the balance between the incurable residential buildings like 8 house by BIG and Mountain Dwellings by 3XN as a backdrop of the landscape was really surreal to see.
• The aquarium, Den Blå Planet by 3XN was one of the most incredible buildings I have seen. Inspired by a whirlpool, the aquarium works in conjunction with the nearby Øresund sound, and uses river and rain water instead of potwater for their tanks.

I feel so lucky to have been able to see these buildings in person which are demonstrating how we can have sustainable green cities in the future.