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Cities occupy just 2% of the world’s land surface6


yet they house more


than 50% of the world’s population.7 They are political and economic centers that consume a vast amount of resources (some 75% of the world’s resources, while producing equivalent amounts of waste8


). When it comes to


climate change, experts differ in their analysis of the overall contribution of cities to greenhouse gas emissions. Some estimate that urban areas are responsible for less than half of total emissions, while others claim the share is much higher, up to 80%.9


What


is clear is that as major consumers of energy and centers of economic activity, cities face a major challenge in transitioning to low-carbon economies.


Cities also face significant risks as a result of climate change. A recent study revealed that across 180 countries, 634 million people are living in low lying coastal areas – defined as less than 10 meters above sea level – which are especially vulnerable to risks resulting from climate change. Approximately 70% of the countries at risk have urban areas of more than 5 million people situated within these low lying coastal areas including Tokyo; New York; Mumbai, India; Shanghai, China; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Dhaka, Bangladesh.10


In developing nations


– where urbanization continues at an incredible pace – some of the poorest people will likely be put at great risk due to fluctuating weather patterns and rising sea levels.


City Context


Cities are responsible for the vast majority of global economic output – thirty-four of the world’s largest 100 economies are cities; in comparison, just 13 corporations are on this list of largest economies.11


They are


concentrations of productivity, wealth, knowledge, and decision-making power. Many cities have the capabilities to evolve quickly: they can capitalize upon their strong capacity for innovation and benefit from closer communications between citizens and decision-makers. As contributors to climate change solutions, cities have the potential to be models of environmental efficiency, delivering services to increasing urban populations while using correspondingly fewer resources and becoming part of the solution to addressing climate change.


Local governments have proven to be excellent laboratories for implementing emissions reduction policies and programs through their early action and leadership.12


than 1,000 cities around the world that participate in ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) programs.i


Take, for example, the more


However, each city is unique in nature – in its politics, economics, geography and culture – and this differentiation can sometimes complicate cities’ efforts in attempting to measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks. Take, for example, the greenhouse gas emissions inventories of three major cities: Chicago, London, and New York. Each city uses a different approach to measure its greenhouse gas emissions,ii applying a methodology that best reflects the city’s circumstances. This makes it difficult to compare relative performance and identify best practice. Work by ICLEI, the World Resources Institute, and, more recently, the World Bank and United Nations Environment Program, has gone some way to providing common metrics for cities. Yet significant challenges to standardization remain – for greenhouse gas emissions as well as other climate change-related metrics. As the climate continues to change, these measures of a city’s performance will take on an increasingly important role.


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