Why Cities Matter

Cities are key drivers of climate change and central to overcoming the climate crisis. According to the most recent government statistics, the UK's 63 largest towns and cities account for almost half of all of the country's carbon dioxide (or CO₂) emissions.

The average car is parked 92% of the time, 31% of food is wasted along the value chain, and the average office is used only 35-50% of the time, even during office hours. Globally, roughly 60% of buildings that will exist in 2050 are yet to be built. This means constructing a city the size of Stockholm or Milan (1.5 million people) per week until 2050, or a city the size of Singapore or New York every month until 2050.There are huge opportunities to rethink cities that adapt and change over time, are carbon neutral and feed their residents.

Watch the video below about the impact of climate change on cities.

And for more details...

Is Copenhagen offering a solution?

Reflection questions:

• What evidence is there of unsustainability and climate change in your city?
• Are there examples of good practice or policy changes?
• Where are the opportunities for positive change?

Digging Deeper...

Here are a few more sources of information to explore:

• Are cities bad for the environment - report from the BBC here.
• Creating sustainable cities - short video on why cities are key here.
• Which are the UK's most sustainable cities? see them ranked here.