The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Biological Resources

The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Biological Resources is a guide by RMI that outlines three primary actions for cities to manage biological resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: organic waste diversion, urban forestry, and the promotion of plant-based diets.

• Cities can reduce greenhouse gas impacts by diverting organic waste—such as food waste, landscaping debris, and paper and cardboard packaging—from landfills to prevent the anaerobic decomposition that produces methane.
• Urban forests serve as carbon sinks to remove carbon from the atmosphere and offset emissions, while also lowering energy requirements for cooling by reducing the urban heat-island effect.
• Promoting plant-based diets over diets high in meats, particularly beef and pork, can lower the carbon footprint associated with food options.

APA

RMI (2017). The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Biological Resources. https://rmi.org/resources/the-carbon-free-city-handbook-biological-resources/

Chicago

RMI. The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Biological Resources. 2017. https://rmi.org/resources/the-carbon-free-city-handbook-biological-resources/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Biological Resources |date=9 November 2017 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/the-carbon-free-city-handbook-biological-resources/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2017carbonfree, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Biological Resources}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2017}, month = nov, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/the-carbon-free-city-handbook-biological-resources/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }