MILAN, Italy – Cities generate over 70 percent of CO2 emissions. This means addressing the impact urban centers have on the climate is an urgent need if we are to achieve the 2030 Agenda. Forests play a vital role in this effort by absorbing nearly 40 percent of annual fossil fuel emissions produced each year. By multiplying and enhancing the presence of urban forests within cities, we can curb CO2, reduce pollution, conserve energy, combat urban heat, and increase biodiversity.
Enter Green Obsession: a vision of a future where cities thrive with gardens on rooftops, community gardens and urban agriculture, connecting parks and forests. By increasing the connectivity between forests, gardens, and parks, and through the creation of ecological corridors, Green Obsession goes beyond simple design, bringing a transformative urban forestry strategy that represents a shifting perspective of the future of the global cityscape.
Indeed, as Stefano Boeri’s flagship sustainability effort, the Bosco Verticale in Milan stands as a symbol of Green Obsession’s new urban philosophy. The complex is draped with 21,000 plants and has been chosen as the reference image of SDG 11, exemplifying how cities can be made inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
Green Obsession seeks to change the city paradigm and make urban forests a priority for governments around the world, ensuring a greener future for all. The initiative has formed collaborations with public institutions, universities, nonprofits, and research networks, fostering dynamic exchanges and expanding its educational reach. Through partnerships with institutions like Politecnico di Milano and Tongji University in Shanghai as well as the involvement of esteemed experts such as Jane Goodall, the initiative inspires and engages a wide audience.
Moreover, Green Obsession actively participates in, and organizes, events, exhibitions, and presentations, leaving its mark at over 50 international conferences and events, including the New York Climate Action Summit. Through these dynamic platforms, Green Obsession captivates global audiences, spreading its visionary ideas and solutions for a greener future.
As a finalist in the UN SDG Action Awards Inspire category, Green Obsession harnesses the power of creativity to inspire positive change and shift behavior for the SDGs by emphasizing the importance of ecological connectivity, urban forestry, and sustainable design. The initiative encourages a new perspective on cities, fosters global collaboration, and advocates for transformative policy actions. It envisions sustainable cities and communities that prioritize Good Health and Well-being, while stepping up on Climate Action through its creative approach to urban planning, ecological connectivity, and urban forestry – meeting SDG 3, 11 & 13.
