2.3 Urban governance and climate change policy David Dodman and David Satterthwaite1
Half the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to rise to 60 per cent by 2030, with almost all the growth in the world’s urban population occurring in low- and middle-income countries. The industrial activities that occur in cities, and the consumption behaviour and choices of their residents, are important contributors to global emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHGs). In addition, a high proportion of urban areas are very much at risk from climate change. This means that residents of towns and cities, and the municipal authorities responsible for their governance, have a vital role both in climate-related mitigation (reducing atmospheric concentrations of GHGs) and adaptation (building resilience to changing climatic threats). Urban governance for mitigation
Many GHG-generating activities are concentrated in urban areas. Manufacturing industries, congested roads carrying fossil-fuel-burning vehicles, buildings using energy for heating, cooling and lighting, and high-consumption lifestyles are all major sources of CO2 emissions. Emission levels vary greatly between urban centres, however; wealthy cities can have GHG emissions per person 50 to 100 times those of urban centres in low-income nations.2 There are various ways that urban governments can help meet global needs for preventing dangerous climate change. First, most urban authorities are substantial contributors to emissions, as they are large employers responsible for many buildings and extensive vehicle fleets. They can take initiatives to reduce their carbon footprints, including making buildings more energy-efficient, converting their vehicle fleets to run on electricity or ‘green’ fuels and improving solid waste management by encouraging waste reduction, recycling
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