How cities can curb climate change – What the UN report says

The cities of the world they largely feed them gas emissions that increase the temperature of the planetbut can also play an important role tackling climate change in the near future.

UN scientists presented yesterday, Monday, ways to curb emissions and reduce climate changeincluding a chapter on actions that may be promoted by town planners.

In report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change It is found that the infrastructure of cities and the activities in them cause about two thirds of the current emissions of gas that cause the greenhouse effect.

This means that cities can potentially “solve two-thirds of the problem. “That’s a cause for excitement,” she said geologist at Yale Karen Seto Universitywhich is one of the main authors of the chapter.

Many cities have already taken action. London has imposed a tax on very polluting vehicles in the city center and Paris has banned diesel vehicles.

Other actions that cities can take include:

• improving the energy efficiency of buildings,
• the design of roads in such a way as to avoid traffic congestion,
• the planting of “green roofs”
• and the integration of more parks and trees, which help neutralize some carbon emissions while also helping to keep cities cooler, the report said.

Planning for increased population density and encouraging this increased density is recommended to avoid expansion into rural and suburban areas, where energy efficiency is lower and natural ecosystems are also being destroyed.

“The 21st century will be the century of cities, as it will be marked by a massive increase in the world’s urban population,” the report said. About 55% of the world’s population lived in cities in 2018, a rate that is expected to rise to 68% by 2050 – with cities in Asia and Africa recording the largest increases.

Climate-friendly policies in cities will also improve public health by reducing air pollution, the report said.

For the world to have a chance to reduce the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, cities need to act fast – and funding needs to increase significantlyis mentioned in the report.

In 2020, cities were responsible for up to 72% of global greenhouse gas emissions, up from 62% in 2015. Aggressive climate action could eliminate net emissions from cities by 2050.

However, if no action is taken, emissions from cities could instead double during this period, according to the report.

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