Difference between revisions of "Initiative from cities"
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==Description== | |||
Cities have a two-way relationship with climate change. Cities, in which most of the world population lives is responsible for 50% of global GHG emissions and use approximately 70% of global energy. Constant urbanization of cities results in reduction of green cover. . Poor waste management in cities leads to release of methane and CFC which are dangerous GHG. Last but not the least, the transport system which forms the backbone of any city is a major contributor of GHG and also lead to air pollution (UNEP, 2009). <br><br> | |||
Last few years have seen many cities coming together on a global platform to discuss their problems relating to climate change and to understand the solutions that can be implemented. Cities such as Istanbul and Thungsong have implemented prudent measures to tackle the menace of climate change (UNEP, 2009). As more and more cities come together to talk on global platform, their initiative will surely have a bearing on the policies of their countries and thereby will influence the climate change negotiations. <br><br> | |||
==Enablers:== | |||
The | One of the key enablers for cities taking the initiatives is the obvious advantage that a city gets in implementing projects to mitigate climate change. Investment in green projects help in reducing costs of fuel and electricity and leads to generation of jobs thus supporting long term economic growth (UNEP, 2009). Traffic related projects to reduce congestion reduces time of travel and makes the air cleaner to breathe thus improving the health of the city residents. <br><br> | ||
The other key enabler is the networking platform offered by UN to the cities. Global networks such as United Cities and Local Government (ULCG) and ICLEI provide a great opportunity for cities around the world to come on a single platform to discuss their problems and understand the solutions (UNEP, 2009). <br><br> | |||
==Inhibitors:== | |||
A key inhibitor is the lack of interest and/or lack of awareness by the cities. If the city authorities are not interested in implementing solutions to improve the state of the city and/or not willing to be a part of the global forum to share ideas, they will never make an effort to tackle climate change. Similarly if the city authorities are not aware of the impact of climate change on their city and/or not aware of global forums where they can participate to understand simple but effective solutions, they will not make an attempt to tackle climate change. <br><br> | |||
Other key inhibitor is the lack of funds and/or lack of support from the local government. If the city authorities lack funds for development and/or heavily dependent of local government for support which is not easily available for such projects, there is very little possibility that they will ever implement projects to tackle climate change. <br><br> | |||
==Paradigms:== | |||
Most cities have realized the importance of tackling climate change and have implemented projects proactively to prevent further deterioration of climate. One such example is the city of Istanbul which has implemented the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in 2004 (UNEP, 2009). The project has reduced the traffic congestion and air pollution both while reducing the travel and waiting time. Thungsong in Thailand has implemented a waste management project which not only prevents the release of dangerous gases such as methane into the atmosphere but also earns revenue for the city (UNEP, 2009). Initiatives by cities resulted in UN taking notice and thus providing a global platform such as UCLG and ICLEI to local governments and cities to share information (UNEP, 2009). <br><br> | |||
=Experts= | |||
Cynthia Rosenzweig (Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA) on how cities are most vulnerable to changes and how smaller cities can apply solutions used in mega-cities: <br> | |||
http://espp.msu.edu/news/blog/?p=1012 | |||
==Timing:== | |||
The collaboration of cities is an ongoing process. <br><br> | |||
==Web Resources:== | |||
UNEP. 2009. Climate Change the Role of Cities. http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/2226_alt.pdf retrieved on 02nd September 2010 <br> | |||