While many national governments have set goals to align with the Paris Agreement, the most aggressive targets have been set by cities, states and regions. And these local authorities are already moving faster, decarbonizing at twice the rate of G20 governments. Cities have authority over land-use zoning, building efficiency, transportation, waste management and water services. They are well-positioned to implement sustainable policies to meet the needs of their region. While more cities are accelerating their strong climate commitments, implementing massive and complex plans is challenging.

What Challenges and Trends are Cities Managing Today?

Cities large and small face a continual challenge related to rapid growth. Worldwide, urban populations are expected to double by 2030. This growth drives increased demand for jobs, transportation and affordable housing, as well as increased consumption of energy, water and waste. Growth is also costly. Whether dealing with aging pipes and water systems, high-emission fossil fuel plants, landfills that have reached capacity, or outdated transportation infrastructure, cities have no shortage of investments to make, particularly urban design and transportation networks that can handle increased density and enhance efficiency of shared resources. Cities also must be resilient to the physical and socio-economic costs of climate change: flooding, water stress, energy shortages, food shortages, and air quality, to mention a few.

What Should Cities be Thinking About?

Some of the following actions can help cities address current trends and external pressures while implementing projects and policies that meet the needs of their citizens.

• Decarbonize Transportation: Create convenient, affordable access to low-carbon public transportation and invest in urban infrastructure to support new technologies such as electric or autonomous vehicles.
• Strengthen Building Requirements: Establish high performance building requirements that apply to new construction and existing buildings, with requirements that extend beyond energy efficiency to address water and waste.
• Increase Access to Green Power: Encourage use and adoption of renewables, including making it easy to build local infrastructure or provide access to communities
  Implement Regulations: Policy mechanisms like price signals and tax credits will stimulate adoption of clean technology, encourage innovation, and shift the burden of carbon externalities back to those who can reduce it.
• Set Goals and Disclose Progress: Using established frameworks and benchmarking tools, cities can set goals, track progress and benchmark performance to other cities to find opportunities and engage stakeholders.
• Build Coalitions: Local authorities can form strong communications around sustainability. Whether to create awareness, promote successful initiatives or bring together investment hubs, coalitions have been an important way to foster business focus around sustainability efforts.