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Invest in low-carbon cities to protect climate and boost jobs, governments urged
(Reuters, 17 Mar 2021) Spending on efforts to cut carbon emissions from energy, transport and construction in cities would bring jobs and savings, as well as curbing climate change, a new report says.
More COVID-19 recovery spending and public investment is needed for green transport and clean energy in cities, to create jobs, cut planet-heating emissions and limit the damage from climate change, U.N. officials and researchers said on Wednesday.
A report by the Coalition for Urban Transitions, a group of research organisations pushing for more sustainable cities, assessed climate-friendly measures governments and city leaders should prioritise in six emerging economies.
The report found that China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa - which account for a third of global GDP and about 40% of the world's urban population - could cut annual emissions in key urban sectors by up to 96% more than current plans by 2050, by investing in low-carbon initiatives.
Those include retrofitting old buildings to save on energy use, building new energy-efficient homes with rooftop solar panels, and ensuring affordable housing for the poor is connected to public transport.
Reuters, 17 Mar 2021: Invest in low-carbon cities to protect climate and boost jobs, governments urged
