How Mayors From Seattle to Shenzhen Lead on Pollution
- City halls have some of the most aggressive climate measures
- Target for cities will remove equivalent of Japan's CO2
Mayors Targeting Climate Change on a Local Level
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Cities including Seattle, Copenhagen and Tokyo are taking the lead in slashing fossil-fuel emissions, picking up the baton from national governments that have squabbled for more than two decades over how to fight climate change.
Urban areas contain about half the world’s population now and will have two-thirds by 2050, according to the UN. That makes them “fundamental” to tackling global warming, said Rachel Kyte, the World Bank’s special envoy on climate. The measures they’re adopting range from electrifying buses, to making cycle paths and requiring more efficient buildings.