ADVANCING CLIMATE AMBITION: CITIES AS PARTNERS IN GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION Nations of the world have agreed to work towards limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. BUT THE COMMITMENTS THEY’VE MADE TO REDUCE THEIR EMISSIONS AREN’T ENOUGH. The good news is that cities can help bridge the gap between nations’ actions and what’s needed to prevent this temperature rise.
WHERE WE’RE HEADED. NATIONAL ACTIONS WON’T GET US WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
G L O B A L E M I S S IO NS
GLOBAL EMISSIONS
G tCO 2 e
CITIES CAN HELP.
REMAINING 2 DEGREE GAP.
WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
2010
2020
2 0 30
2 0 40
2050
In fact, cities can reduce the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions beyond what national actions will achieve in 2030 and 2050.
A GtCO2e DECREASE OF
147 GtCO2e
3.7
C U MU L AT IV E E MIS S IONS AV OIDE D BY 2050
ANNUAL EMI SSI ONS
2015
A GtCO2e DECREASE OF
8.0 ANNU AL E MIS S IONS
2030 2050
CITY ACTIONS CAN HELP DRIVE STRONGER NATIONAL COMMITMENTS How? By reducing the energy used in these five sectors, mayors have enormous opportunities to lower GHG emissions—in their cities and globally.
8.0 GtCO2e ANNUAL EMISSIONS
8% 7% 2 9%
Waste Frieght Transport
3.7 GtCO2e 4% 5%
ANNUAL EMISSIONS
Passenger Transport
21%
23%
Commercial Buildings
24%
Residential Buildings
3 6% 43% 2 01 5
2 05 0
2030
CITIES’ MAIN IMPACTS ON EMISSIONS COME FROM SPECIFIC ACTIONS Through these actions, cities’ GHG reductions in the year 2050 alone could equal more than half of the world’s annual use of coal today. ABATEMENT GtCO2E
SHARE OF TOTAL 2050 ABATEMENT (%)
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
NEW BUILDING HEATING EFFICIENCY
1.2 15%
HEATING RETROFITS
0.5 7%
APPLIANCES AND LIGHTING FUEL SWITCHING /SOLAR PV
0.9 11% 0.2 3%
COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
NEW BUILDING HEATING EFFICIENCY HEATING RETROFITS
PASSENGER TRANSPORT WASTE
0.2 3%
APPLIANCES AND LIGHTING FUEL SWITCHING /SOLAR PV
FREIGHT TRANSPORT
0.5 7%
0.7 8% 0.2 3%
URBAN PLANNINGREDUCED TRAVEL DEMAND
0.5 6%
MODE SHIFT AND TRANSIT EFFICIENCY
1.0
CAR EFFICIENCY AND ELECTRIFICATION
LOGISTICS IMPROVEMENT
12%
0.9 11%
0.2 3%
VEHICLE EFFICIENCY
0.3 4%
RECYCLING
0.3 4%
LANDFILL METHANE CAPTURE
0.3 4%
Cities and their mayors are already taking action. With aggressive new efforts their impact could reduce annual GHG emissions by 3.7 GtCO2e in the year 2030 and 8.0 GtCO2e in the year 2050, which would mean cumulative reductions of 25 GtCO2e by 2030 and 147 GtCO2e by 2050. As nations create a new global climate treaty focused on the 2 degree mark, they have an opportunity to do what they have never done before—include and support cities’ work in their efforts to prevent climate change. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT MIKEBLOOMBERG.COM/UNENVOY.
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