Poland’s capital Warsaw has become the country’s first city to join the Green Cities framework, the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) programme that supports cities on the journey towards climate resilience and adaptation.

So how do you enable the green transformation of a capital city with 2 million residents in a country historically powered by coal?

Arup worked closely with EBRD and the City of Warsaw to jointly develop the Green City Climate & Action Plan. Our work for EBRD’s Green City Action Plan (GCAP)  has been combined with the C40s’ Climate Action Plan into Warsaw’s Green Vision, which targets six focus areas to turn the city into a healthier, more resilient and sustainable place for all residents.

By enhancing the use of smart energy, blue-green infrastructure, spatial planning, transport, waste management and social awareness, Warsaw should be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 while realising significant yearly savings.

To help bring the plan to life, the Green Vision roadmap identifies 27 specific actions for the city alongside relevant funding opportunities. The project was jointly funded by the TaiwanBusiness – EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund and the Government of Poland.