“Cities harbour the scale for low-emission transport, effective land-use planning, mass retro-fitting, building efficiency, viable water and electricity systems, and product recycling.”
(UNEP, 2014)
Cities In Percentages80%: human generated carbon emissions from cities 80%: 2040 world energy consumption from urban locations (Booz & Co) 70%: 2030 world population living in cities (UN) 90%: urban energy consumption growth from 2010 to 2040 (Booz & Co) |
London in Numbers*1 million: growth in population 2011-2021 800,000: new homes required by 2031 600,000: extra public transport peak time passengers by 2031 * Smart London Plan
|
Over half of the world's population lives in cities. We are currently undergoing what has been described as a period of “great migration”, and the UN estimates that cities will be home to 70% of people globally by 2030. Cities are economic powerhouses and account for 80% of global GDP according to the World Bank, so accelerated urbanisation may also mean accelerated economic growth in cities, the hubs of technical innovation and collaboration.
However, rising numbers of increasingly wealthy city dwellers pose a challenge in a world of diminishing natural resources.
According to Booz & Company, cities accounted for 66% of global energy consumption in 2010 and that number is set to climb to 80% by 2040. In terms of actual energy, this implies that demand from cities will almost double by 2040, from 7.5 BTOE (billion tons of oil equivalent) to 14.9 BTOE, according to the Booz & Company forecasts.
Some 80% of human generated carbon emissions come from cities, according to research by Barber (2013). And air quality is increasingly becoming an issue in cities.
Join Cleantech Investor at Smart Future London 2014 on 27 -28 October 2014, to hear expert speakers debate the challenges – and opportunities – resulting from urbanisation.
