SPOTLIGHT
By Nigel Jollands and Lin O’Grady, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Green Cities co-leads
B
y 2025, more than 4.5 billion people will live in cities – meaning even more energy will be expended in urban
areas. Major metropolitan areas account for around 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from energy used for lighting, heating, cooling and transport. This makes cities a key focus for tackling climate change. Since these emissions are so closely
linked to global warming – which the Paris Agreement wants to limit to no more than 2°C, and if possible, a more ambitious 1.5°C – a key task for planners is working out how to provide energy to growing city populations, without aggravating climate problems or worsening air quality. This applies particularly to cities around the EBRD regions – central and eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the southern and eastern Mediterranean regions. The numerous challenges these cities face include insufficient infrastructure investment, demographic changes and poor air quality – all linked to a history of high
¤3 billion 49 cities
Value of EBRD Green Cities program
are currently signed up to the program
energy use and carbon-intense emissions. Solving these problems holistically was the inspiration behind the ¤3 billion EBRD Green Cities program, which aims to help cities identify, prioritize and tackle these urban challenges to create more sustainable living spaces. The program has become so popular that in its first five years it has grown to include 49 cities.
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PHOTOS: EBRD
PHOTO: Yoko Correia Nishimiya/
Shutterstock.com
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