As economic hubs, cities also have a crucial role to play in mitigating global climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found particularly great opportunities in fastgrowing urban centres in developing countries, but cities at all levels are pursuing climate action. Many of the measures they are choosing – e.g. retrofitting buildings to be more energy-efficient, improving public transit, promoting biking and walking, encouraging denser development – have also been shown to have broader economic and social benefits. This paper looks at this issue in the other direction: how cities’ economic development strategies are likely to affect global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It examines policies and actions that are already widely used by cities to advance economic development and competitiveness, assess the evidence on their net GHG impact, and identify key issues that cities may want to address if they wish to align their climate and economic development goals.
