7/28/2019 Fact Sheet Why Cities 8.25.11 Update

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FactSheet:WhyCities?CitiesarealeadingforceonclimateactionCitieshaveemergedasaleadingforceforglobalactiononclimatechange.Withglobalprotocolsand

treatiesunabletoimpactsignificantreforms,citiesarestronglypositionedtogeneraterealchange.

Thefactsonthegroundbearup:NewYork,SaoPaulo,London,TokyoandJakartaarejustsomeof

theworldsmegacitiesthatareworkingtotransformtheirpoliciesandinfrastructuretoimprove

energyefficiencyandotherresourceuse.

Thecaseforcityleadershiponclimatechangeisstrong: Citiesconsumeovertwothirdsoftheworldsenergyandaccountformorethan70%of

globalCO2emissions,themostprevalentofthegreenhousegases(GHG).

Citiesaregrowing morethanhalfoftheworldspopulationnowlivesincitiesandby2050thisfigurewillrisetothreequarters.

Citiesarevulnerabletoclimatechange:75%ofurbansettlementsarelocatedincoastalareasatriskfromsealevelrise,forexample.

LowcarbonlivingisinthefabricofurbansystemsResearchshowsitisnoturbanizationitselfbut,rather,higherlevelsofincomethatdrivethehigher

GHGemissionsweseeincitiestoday;infact,urbandensitiesyieldmanyopportunitiesforlow

carbonliving,suchastheuseofcyclingpathsormasstransport.AstudybytheInternationalEnergy

Agencyshowsthat,intheUnitedStates,energyusepercapitaofcityresidentsisslightlylowerthan

thenationalaverage.Bycontrast,inChina,percapitaenergyuseofcityresidentsisdoublethe

nationalaverage,duetohigheraverageincomesandbetteraccesstomodernenergyservices.

AstrongcapacityandwilltotackleemissionsourcesCitieshavearesponsibilitytocreatesolutionstoclimatechange.Fortunately,theyalsohaveareal

capacityandwilltodoso.Actingbothlocallyandcollaboratively,citiesaremakingameaningful

globalimpactbyimplementingsustainabilitypractices.Eachcityisuniqueinitsinfrastructure,scopeofcontrolovermunicipalservices,technicalsavvyandevenprogressinaddressingclimatechange.

However,theunderlyingdriversofemissionsincitiesarelargelythesame:

Buildingshaveinefficientheatingandcooling,lighting,andrefrigerationsystems theirwalls,windowsandroofsleakheatinthewinterandcoldinthesummer.

Solidwastelandfillsreleasemethaneagreenhousegasagent23timesmorepotentthanCO2asgarbagedecays.

Mostoftheenergyusedforoutdoorlightingbecomeswasteheatratherthanproducinglight.

Heavytrafficcongestionincitiesgeneratessignificantemissionsandreducesworkerproductivity.

Mostwatersystemswastesignificantwaterandenergyasaresultofleaksandlosses.

7/28/2019 Fact Sheet Why Cities 8.25.11 Update

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AchievingglobalscaleCompetitiveadvantagesallowindividualcitiestopursueasubsetofstrategiesthatwillleadto

meaningfulemissionsreductionsatthelocallevel.Citiescanbenimbleinimplementingpolicy

changes,butarealsoreadilyaccountabletotheircitizens,localbusinesses,schools,andinstitutions

forthesuccessorfailureoftheiractions.Tothisextent,citiesareatestbedforlargeraction:

policiesand

programs

that

work

environmentally,

economically

and

politically

have

powerful

potentialtoeffectchangeglobally.Citieswithcommonprofilescannetwork,collaborateon

solutionsanddisseminatebestpracticesthatbringactionstoscaleinothersimilarcities.

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