Without tackling urban challenges, we cannot solve the climate crisis. The central role of cities is undeniable: they account for 75% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Urban choices influence and can drive change across all systems that must be decarbonized and made resilient, from transportation to food and energy production. As the 2018 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change showed, cities—with their concentration of people, economic activity, and infrastructure—are among the most powerful levers we have to drive decarbonization and build resilience quickly enough to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement.
The Coalition for Urban Transitions identified urban climate action as an opportunity to generate $24 trillion in benefits by 2050 while reducing urban emissions by 90%. Cities are highly vulnerable to climate impacts: 800 million urban residents could be vulnerable to a half-meter rise in sea levels by 2050, and cities will bear the brunt of extreme heat due to the urban heat island effect.
