TY - JOUR
T1 - Greenhouse gas emissions from global cities
AU - Kennedy, Christopher
AU - Steinberger, Julia
AU - Gasson, Barrie
AU - Hansen, Yvonne
AU - Hillman, Timothy
AU - Havránek, Miroslav
AU - Pataki, Diane
AU - Phdungsilp, Aumnad
AU - Ramaswami, Anu
AU - Mendez, Gara Villalba
PY - 2009/10/1
Y1 - 2009/10/1
N2 - The world's population is now over 50% urban, and cities make an important contribution to national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Many cities are developing strategies to reduce their emissions. Here we ask how and why emissions differ between cities. Our study of ten global cities shows how a balance of geophysical factors (climate, access to resources, and gateway status) and technical factors (power generation, urban design, and waste processing) determine the GHGs attributable to cities. Within the overall trends, however, there are differences between cities with more or less public transit; while personal income also impacts heating and industrial fuel use. By including upstream emissions from fuels, GHG emissions attributable to cities exceed those from direct end use by up to 25%. Our findings should help foster intercity learning on reducing GHG emissions.
AB - The world's population is now over 50% urban, and cities make an important contribution to national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Many cities are developing strategies to reduce their emissions. Here we ask how and why emissions differ between cities. Our study of ten global cities shows how a balance of geophysical factors (climate, access to resources, and gateway status) and technical factors (power generation, urban design, and waste processing) determine the GHGs attributable to cities. Within the overall trends, however, there are differences between cities with more or less public transit; while personal income also impacts heating and industrial fuel use. By including upstream emissions from fuels, GHG emissions attributable to cities exceed those from direct end use by up to 25%. Our findings should help foster intercity learning on reducing GHG emissions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70349617486&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=70349617486&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/es900213p
DO - 10.1021/es900213p
M3 - Article
C2 - 19848137
AN - SCOPUS:70349617486
SN - 0013-936X
VL - 43
SP - 7297
EP - 7302
JO - Environmental Science and Technology
JF - Environmental Science and Technology
IS - 19
ER -