How cities can alter climate change

The world as we know it is currently facing two global crises: 1) a short-term crisis, which is the Covid-19 pandemic, and 2) a long-term crisis, which is the threat of climate change. The pandemic has heightened our worldwide interdependence and testifies on how the fight against climate change needs to be undivided. Biodiversity is not included in one of the Paris Peace Forum’s (PPF) main aims, which were health, economy, and digital world but is, instead, incorporated in every debate as a basic and fundamental component to consider. In the words of John Kerry at the PPF, “It starts to be logical as much as ecological to implement clean technologies and renewable energies” (Timmermans et al, 2020). Cities have always led in terms of commerce, culture, and innovation. It is where humankind’s greatest ideas have appeared. We need to utilize and maximize this power in our fight against climate change (The Barbican Group, 2012).

The PPF’s debate, titled From global to local: Cities leading a green and equitable recovery, explored the impact cities can have on biodiversity, and how the strategies implemented on a scale of a city are tailored to the economy and the resources available. Cities have the capacity of making road maps to bolster the economy whilst protecting the planet. Dynamics are changing and mayors are playing an increasingly important role. They are more in touch with their population and, thus, the connection between citizens and politics are done through local administration. It is important to note that cities are responsible for 75% of global CO₂ emissions (UNEP, 2020). Michael Bloomberg exemplified this with the coal fire power plants in the United States of America. Although US President Donald Trump was repeatedly taking measures contradicting the Paris Agreement, the rate of the removal of the coal fire power plant were the same under ex-President Barack Obama and Trump. This is because the project was led at a local level, where mayors understood the problems on the ground and adapted their cities to have renewal energy (Timmermans et al 2020).

This urge to adapt cities for a greener future also stems from the growing threat that cities face. 70% of cities worldwide have already taken action to fight against climate change as they are the most vulnerable to climate change. Ninety percent of all urban areas are on the coast where the risk of flooding is increasing. Climate change can also result in storms, droughts, snowstorms, and more, where cities must adapt their reactive measures, which can have a non-negligible financial cost. If a snowstorm hits a city that traditionally would not experience such adverse weather, it is the city that needs to bear the cost to remove the snow, not the government. This can also explain why cities have taken such a proactive approach. Yet, the potential in cities is enormous, with a high-density population, there is scope to decrease carbon footprint if the infrastructure plan is efficient and appropriate to the needs of the population (The Barbican Group, 2012). Hence, the focus on cities during the PPF.

From left to right, top to bottom: Francine Lacqua, Guiseppe Sala, Xianwang Zhou, Vi Lyles
(Timmermanns et al, 2020)