How cities can save millions

Cities. How to save millions, slow down the climate change and improve public health.

The issue of global climate change cannot be addressed without addressing the challenge of urbanism. Cities contribute about 70% of the emissions of effect greenhouse related energy , despite in actually only constitute 2% of the earth's surface planet.

The reduction of this environmental impact can be considered a nearly daunting challenge, but a new report Better Growth, Better Climate (Better growth, better climate) prepared by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate (Global Commission on the Economy and Climate) addresses the problem of the cities and their urbanism with the aim of reduce emissions in the long term , look for the guidelines for sustainable and lasting economic growth while addressing the risks of climate change with an important consequence, improved health public.

The next 15 years will be critical as the The global economy is undergoing a profound transformation structural . It will not be a “business” according to the usual methods. The global economy will grow by more than half a billion people will move to cities and Rapid technological advances will continue to change businesses and lives.

It is estimated that close to 90 billion dollars will be invested in infrastructure in cities, land and energy systems. The How these changes are managed will determine the future patterns of growth, productivity and standard of life, but… How can cities save million?

“The report reveals that the largest cities of the world, combined, could save around 3 Billions of dollars in infrastructure with an approach coherent in the next 15 years”

Future economic growth does not have to copy the model of high carbon consumption and unequal distribution of past. Transformation, structural and technological change They are based on three key economic systems:

Cities:

They are engines of economic growth. In them you generates about 80% of economic output energy, and about 70% of global energy use and emissions related to greenhouse gases greenhouse . The way in which cities more large and fastest growing are developed will be critical to the future of the global economy and climate. However, great part of the current urban growth It is not planned or structured, which translates into high economic, social and environmental costs.

Atlanta and Barcelona, similar population but different carbon emissions levels:

Use of land:

Your productivity will determine whether the world can feed a population that is projected to grow to exceed more than eight billion by 2030, while preserving the environment natural environment. Food production can be increased protect forests and mitigate emissions from uses agriculture, increasing crop yields and livestock productivity, using new technologies and integrated approaches in land and water management. If only 12% of the land were restored eroded, 200 million people could be fed for 2030 .

The global distribution of insecurity Food in 2012:

Growth of information systems energy:

In all economies. We are at the cusp of the renewable energy of the future (More data from Reflections on energy: Towards a new system a ) . Coal is riskier and more expensive than before, with increasing reliance on imports and an increase in air pollution. He vertiginous reduction in costs, in particular of the wind and solar power, could bring renewable resources and other low-carbon energies to more than half of all new generations of electricity in the coming 15 years.

Indicative costs of the photovoltaic solar electricity over time and the estimated cost of utility, compared to a level of world reference for coal and natural gas:

Along with these systems, you should take advantage of three “drivers of change” to overcome barriers institutional, market and political, towards the low carbon growth:

• Improving the effectiveness of resources is the core of both growth and reduction of emissions. (Fact: Clean energy subsidies range from the 100 billion dollars, while the subsidies for polluting fossil fuels are estimated in these moments around 600 billion dollars per year.)
• Investment in infrastructure supports modern economic growth.
• Stimulate innovation in technologies , business models and social practices can lead to growth and the reduction of emissions.

The report proposes an Action Plan Global of 10 key recommendations, in which they are asked the following to the actors politicians:

• 1. Accelerate the downward transformation carbon consumption by integrating climate in the decision-making processes at the core economic. This is needed at all levels of government and business, through systematic changes towards policies and project evaluation instruments, indicators of action, risk models and needs report.
• 2. Include in an international agreement of the climate that is firm, lasting and equitable. With the in order to increase the much-needed confidence for a national standards reform, provides the necessary support to developing countries and sends a market signal solid to investors.
• 3. Phasely withdraw subsidies to fossil fuels and agricultural inputs, and incentives for urban expansion, in order to drive to the more efficient use of resources and release public funds for other uses, including programs to favor those with lower incomes.
• 4. Introduce firm and predictable prices for carbon , as part of a tax reform satisfactory and adequate economic practices, in order to send a powerful signal to the economy.
• 5. Substantially reduce the costs of capital for investment in low consumption infrastructures of carbon , increasing access to capital institutional and decreasing its costs for the assets of low carbon consumption.
• 6. Increase innovation in key technologies that are low carbon and that support climate resilience, tripling public investment in research and development renewable energy and remove barriers to entrepreneurship and creativity.
• 7. Make cities more connected and compact become the preferred paradigm of urban development, through the use of programs that motivate the most dense cities and give priority to investments in safe urban transit systems and efficient .
• 8. Stop deforestation of natural forests by 2030 , by strengthening incentives for long-term investment and forest protection, as well as increase international funds to five billion dollars per year, progressively related to performance.
• 9. Restore at least 500 million hectares of forests and agricultural lands degraded before 2030 by strengthening revenues in rural areas and food security.
• 10. Accelerate the abandonment of the generation of polluting energy from coal , through the immediate removal of new coal plants in the developed economies and those of middle-income countries by 2025.

The implementation of policies and investments that are proposed in this report, could lead to the reduction of, at least half of the emission reductions needed to 2030 to reduce the risks of dangerous change climate.

Access to the report Better Growth, Better Climate (Note: The link)