Cities and Climate Change

Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges facing the world today. It is also a critical issue for the world's cities. Now home to over half the world's population, urban areas are significant sources of emissions of greenhouse gases and are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This book sets out the nature of the climate challenges facing cities. It examines how governments, businesses and communities across the world are seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change, and considers the implications for cities and for the environment. An introductory chapter provides an overview of the science and policy of climate change at the global level, and outline the contribution of cities to global greenhouse gas emissions and the potential vulnerabilities of cities to climate change. In particular, it highlights the diverse ways in which cities, north and south, affect and are affected by climate change. Part one then moves to consider the emergence of climate change as an urban policy issue, and the challenges of governing climate change in the city in the context of the changing nature of urban politics, economics, society and infrastructures. Part two will focus on the ways in which responses to climate change are taking place in the city, in terms of mitigation and adaptation and in relation to the variety of actors now involved in urban climate governance. A concluding chapter will consider the extent to which cities are making a difference in relation to climate change, the implications of climate change for issues of social and environmental justice in the city, and the consequences for how we conceptualize the contemporary urban. Drawing on examples from cities in the north and south, this book provides the first introductory text on the intersection between climate change and urbanization. It considers the causes and impacts of climate change in the city, examines how responses to mitigate and adapt to climate change have emerged, and assesses their impacts and implications. Illustrated with detailed case-studies, this book will enable students to understand the potential and limits of addressing climate change at the urban level and to explore the consequences for our future cities.