Resource information
Cities contribute an estimated 70
percent of the world's energy-related greenhouse gases
(GHG). Their locations, often in low-elevation coastal
zones, and large populations make them particularly
vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. But cities
often take steps, even ahead of national governments, to
reduce GHG emissions. So it is with China's cities,
which are well placed to chart a low-carbon growth path to
help reach China's national targets for reducing the
energy and carbon intensity of its economy. China's
cities will need to act on multiple fronts, in some cases
scaling up elements of existing good practice, in others
changing established ways of doing business. Actions
affecting land-use and spatial development are among the
most critical to achieving low-carbon growth as carbon
emissions are closely connected to urban form. Spatial
development also has very strong 'lock-in'
effects: once cities grow and define their urban form, it is
almost impossible to retrofit them because the built
environment is largely irreversible and very costly to
modify. Furthermore, cities need energy-efficient buildings
and industries. They need a transport system that offers
alternatives to automobiles. They need to shift to efficient
management of water, wastewater, and solid waste. And they
need to incorporate responses to climate change in their
planning, investment decisions, and emergency-preparedness plans.
