Around 85% will live in cities by 2100. Many will live in megacities that have more than 10 million inhabitants. These urban jungles are climate-killers. Cities are made with high-emission concrete and steel, and powered with oil, coal, and gas. around 75%Global CO2 emissions
The most recent UN report proposing ways to address the climate crisis made special mention of cities. The report shows that urban building emissions, both during construction and in operation, have increased by about 50% since 1990. This means the sector must rapidly decarbonize if global heating is to remain within 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above 1990 levels.
Urban emissions could be reduced to almost zero by 2050 if cities are powered entirely by renewable energy, have more insulation, and have more electrified transport. Greening cities will capture CO2 and help combat deadly the heat-trapping effects that are particularly problematic in sprawling megacities.
Despite the fact that 60% of the buildings which will make up cities by 2050 have yet to be built, the dream of the climate-neutral city, with very low to zero emissions, is within reach, say experts.
Cities can be leaders in climate mitigation
Cities can be a microcosm for successful climate mitigation, Rogier Vandenberg, acting director global of the Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, an American non-profit, says.
He said that cities offer a huge opportunity because of the high concentration of people. This means you can decarbonize at scale. “The solution is in the cities.”
But significant challenges remain, primarily in creating a shift to high-density, compact cities with people living closer together and reducing the need for cars. According to one popular metric, the goal is to be able to reach all amenities by foot or bicycle within15 minutes.
Parisians are able to live the dream of a 15-minute city during a pandemic, as they abandon public transport and cars in favor of cycling.
Already, experiments have been conducted in response to the pandemic to decrease travel time and make it possible for people to live and/or work locally, including Melbourne. Within 20 minutes of your homeThe Paris 15 minutes from Paris.
Vandenberg stated, “We know for decades that cities work better, are cleaner and more sustainable, and more equitable, if they create services near where people live.”
A new urban planning vision
However, this will require a bold urban planning vision that moves away form the horizontal sprawl prevalent in many major cities around the world. Vandenberg stated, “You really need to think differently about the way you plan and how you retrofit cities.”
Access to reliable, electrified urban transportation is also essential if climate-neutral urban areas are to reach poorer urban communities.
Low-income citizens spend 35% of their income on transport, partly due to urban sprawl and inaccessibility to housing in areas where they work.
The Ross Center for Sustainable Cities aims to support climate neutrality within cities by 2050. It has been particularly focused on electrification of urban transport. buses,In rapidly-growing African cities. The digitization and integration of transport infrastructure will be key to ensuring that commuters have access to the best transport options.
Vandenberg says that transport accounts for 20% of city emission, but buildings emit three times as many carbon than transport.
More capital market and investor support is needed to construct low-emissions buildings and retrofit others to improve energy efficiency and insulation, said Vandenberg.
This includes universal standards that promote sustainable buildings and will encourage investment by pension funds and other investors who are looking to decarbonize portfolios.
Also, it is important to better understand the economic benefits. Vandenberg stated that retrofitting buildings is the best way to create jobs for every million dollars.
Europe aims to have carbon neutral cities by 2030
The dream is already being fulfilled in European cities such as Copenhagen. The Danish capital is well on its way to becoming a global leader. Climate neutral by 2025, working over 10 years to remove the city’s 2 million-ton annual carbon footprint through a new smart renewable energy grid.
Meanwhile, a program has been launched to make 100 European Union cities climate neutralBy 2030, smart and sustainable. The ultimate goal is to achieve climate neutrality in all cities by 2050.
Estimates by Material Economics, a Swedish sustainability consultancy, suggest that the cost could be as high as 1 billion ($1.1 billion) for an average city of 100,000 people to become climate neutral by 2030. Help in accessing finance and know-how will be provided by the EU consortium, Net Zero Cities.
The UK’s city of Bath is subject to a Clean Air Zone, which enforces low exhaust emissions standards.
Healthier cities
Matthew Baldwin, manager of the EU 100 Climate Neutral Cities project, stated that 85% of Europeans will be living in cities by 2050.
He added that “people who live in cities are very climate aware.” This is partly because urban dwellers are able to see the effects of pollution firsthand. Many cities are also built on portlands and are under threat from rising seas.
The EU’s bottom-up climate neutral program engages with citizens to make them more aware of the co-benefits of climate action. Baldwin stated, “You can’t make a climate neutral project without engaging with citizens.” This awareness can help achieve energy independence in the wake the war in Ukraine. It is possible to increase renewable capacity and build efficiencies that can quickly be implemented.
Baldwin said that the European Commission is looking into all options to switch our energy away from Russian hyrdrocarbons and towards renewables. “Cities are the best place to start because of their density. You have shorter distances to travel in cities, it’s easier to switch to public transport, walking, cycling and electromobility.”
“Cities can go further and quicker”
Cities globally are ramping up their ambition to become climate neutral in line with, and sometimes ahead of, the Paris Agreement emissions targets.
30 cities have been already hit Peak emissions by 2020 as part of the C40 Cities initiative that aims to support thousands of cities in becoming net zero by 2050 among them Athens, Austin, Barcelona, Berlin, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Stockholm and Warsaw.
Eric Garcetti, chair C40 and mayor Los Angeles, stated, “Running cities on renewable energies is the foundation upon that an equitable, zero-carbon economy will be built.” Los Angeles, which is already powered by 40% of renewable energy, will reach 80% by 2030. A 100% clean energy grid is on targeted for 2035, while a full coal phase-out will see the last plant converted to hydrogen.
Baldwin stated that cities can go further than nations and do so faster than the whole nation. “I believe we’re going a lot faster than we think.
Edited by Jennifer Collins
