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Chapter 18 - Urban Energy Systems
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- By Arnulf Grubler, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria and Yale University, Xuemei Bai, Australian National University, Thomas Buettner, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Shobhakar Dhakal, Global Carbon Project and National Institute for Environmental Studies, David J. Fisk, Imperial College London, Toshiaki Ichinose, National Institute for Environmental Studies, James E. Keirstead, Imperial College London, Gerd Sammer, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, David Satterthwaite, International Institute for Environment and Development, Niels B. Schulz, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria and Imperial College, Nilay Shah, Imperial College London, Julia Steinberger, The Institute of Social Ecology, Austria and University of Leeds, Helga Weisz, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Gilbert Ahamer, University of Graz, Timothy Baynes, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Daniel Curtis, Oxford University Centre for the Environment, Michael Doherty, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Nick Eyre, Oxford University Centre for the Environment, Junichi Fujino, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Keisuke Hanaki, University of Tokyo, Mikiko Kainuma, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Shinji Kaneko, Hiroshima University, Manfred Lenzen, University of Sydney, Jacqui Meyers, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Hitomi Nakanishi, University of Canberra, Victoria Novikova, Oxford University Centre for the Environment, Krishnan S. Rajan, International Institute of Information Technology, Seongwon Seo, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Ram M. Shrestha, Asian Institute of Technology, Priyadarshi R. Shukla, Indian Institute of Management, Alice Sverdlik, International Institute for Environment and Development, Jayant Sathaye, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Global Energy Assessment Writing Team
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- Book:
- Global Energy Assessment
- Published online:
- 05 September 2012
- Print publication:
- 27 August 2012, pp 1307-1400
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Summary
Executive Summary
More than 50% of the global population already lives in urban settlements and urban areas are projected to absorb almost all the global population growth to 2050, amounting to some additional three billion people. Over the next decades the increase in rural population in many developing countries will be overshadowed by population flows to cities. Rural populations globally are expected to peak at a level of 3.5 billion people by around 2020 and decline thereafter, albeit with heterogeneous regional trends. This adds urgency in addressing rural energy access, but our common future will be predominantly urban. Most of urban growth will continue to occur in small-to medium-sized urban centers. Growth in these smaller cities poses serious policy challenges, especially in the developing world. In small cities, data and information to guide policy are largely absent, local resources to tackle development challenges are limited, and governance and institutional capacities are weak, requiring serious efforts in capacity building, novel applications of remote sensing, information, and decision support techniques, and new institutional partnerships. While ‘megacities’ with more than 10 million inhabitants have distinctive challenges, their contribution to global urban growth will remain comparatively small.
Energy-wise, the world is already predominantly urban. This assessment estimates that between 60–80% of final energy use globally is urban, with a central estimate of 75%. Applying national energy (or GHG inventory) reporting formats to the urban scale and to urban administrative boundaries is often referred to as a ‘production’ accounting approach and underlies the above GEA estimate.
4 - Climate change and urban energy systems
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- By Stephen A. Hammer, Columbia University, New York, James Keirstead, Imperial College, Londong, Shobhakar Dhakal, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Tsukuba, Japan, Jeanene Mitchell, University of Washington, Michelle Colley, Acclimatise, Montreal, Canada, Richenda Connell, Acclimatise, London, UK, Richard Gonzalez, Columbia University, Morgan Herve-Mignucci, CDC Climat, Paris, France, Lily Parshall, Earth Institute at Columbia University, Niels Schulz, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, Austria, Michael Hyams, Columbia University
- Edited by Cynthia Rosenzweig, William D. Solecki, Hunter College, City University of New York, Stephen A. Hammer, Columbia University, New York, Shagun Mehrotra, Columbia University, New York
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- Book:
- Climate Change and Cities
- Published online:
- 05 August 2012
- Print publication:
- 28 April 2011, pp 85-112
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Summary
Introduction
The energy systems that provide the “life blood” to cities are as complex and diverse as cities themselves. Reflecting local natural resource and economic conditions, supply chains that may extend globally, historic investments in technology, and cultural and political preferences, urban energy systems serve as either a key accelerator or brake on the vitality and prospects of a city or urban region. Because of this, the local energy system can be of great interest to policymakers in a city, and many have begun to develop plans that seek to change one or more aspects of this system over the coming decades.
Climate change concerns are increasingly a key driver behind these changes, with local authorities seeking to reduce their city's current level of contribution to global climate change. Climate is not the only reason local authorities engage on energy issues, however. In some cases, cities are seeking to ameliorate pollution attributable to local energy use, while in other cities, economic development is a key concern. The latter is particularly prominent in developing countries, where a lack of access to adequate, reliable energy services continues to impede the economic growth of many cities (UNDP/WHO, 2009). In these situations, climate-related concerns are often secondary to efforts to improve access to modern energy services to reduce poverty, allow for new types of economic activity, and improve public health.
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