Many first-time readers of City Solutions may ask themselves, “But why do cities matter when it comes to a huge problem like global climate change?”
The facts show that cities are most likely to experience severe impacts from a changing climate, and are simultaneously in the best position to tackle these problems through strong local actions.
As this infographic points out, almost 50 percent of cities are already dealing with and contributing to the effects of climate change. More than 90 percent of all urban areas are coastal, putting most cities on Earth at risk of flooding as sea levels rise and extreme weather worsens. Cities are also growing at a tremendous rate and have a ravenous appetite for energy, consuming ⅔ of the world’s energy and creating over 70 percent of global CO2 emissions.
But there are myriad opportunities for mayors and other city leaders – who are often more responsive and nimble than their national and international counterparts – to take local actions that have an immediate impact and add up to create global effects. Today, over 4,700 climate change actions are in effect in the nearly 60 Cities of the C40, with almost 1,500 further actions under active consideration.