Cities finding novel ways to fight climate change

Toxicity no more
Responsible for 80% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, cities are finding novel ways to fight climate change and curb its dire impact
Arti Mulchand, Straits Times 23 Dec 07;

IN WHAT seems like a throwback in time, horses-drawn carriages ply the streets in the Cuban capital of Havana along a specially created transport route complete with coach stops.

It is not for tourists but a system that takes care of some 40 per cent of local transport needs, proving that motorised transport is not the only solution to getting around.

It is one of many novel ways in which cities around the world are joining in the fight against climate change and its catastrophic impact, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, droughts and disease.

Cities cover just 1 per cent of the earth's surface, but are home to more than half the world's population, and can be blamed for most of the world's warming through their emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

They consume about 75 per cent of the world's energy and are responsible for 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.

And as the world continues down the path of rapid urbanisation - urban populations are expected to grow by another two billion people over the next three decades - the problem is set to grow worse.

This is especially so because it is expected that cities in developing countries will account for 95 per cent of that increase.

By 2020, for example, it is estimated that about half the world's projected 1.3 billion cars, trucks and buses will be barrelling through the streets of developing countries, and the World Health Organisation predicts that, by that time, road accidents will be the world's third leading cause of death.

No wonder, then, that addressing the role that cities play in the climate change problem has risen to the top of the agenda for many. The challenge is to make cities liveable and, at the same time, minimise the impact of their development on the environment.

This year saw the launch of the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit in New York, which brings together leaders of the world's largest cities to discuss the positive roles cities can play in tackling climate change.

Next year, Singapore will cast the spotlight on managing urban development while considering environmental consequences and the impact on life at the World Cities Summit, Liveable and Vibrant Cities. The event is part of the Singapore International Water Week in June.

It will address the related issues of urbanisation, climate change, energy and the environment.

As United Nations Environment Programme executive director Achim Steiner put it: 'As champions of the climate cause and centres for innovation, efficiency, investment, and productivity, cities are poised to play an increasingly prominent role in the international climate change debate. It is in cities that climate and sustainability solutions for more than half of humanity will be found.'

He was speaking at the launch of a new report showcasing examples of successful urban environmental planning, on the sidelines of Bali's climate change conference earlier this month.

'A modern city can only be truly successful if it can convincingly demonstrate its green credentials by recognising its natural assets, creating efficient water, energy and transport infrastructure and protecting its citizens in the face of present and future impact of climate change,' he said.

Not only that, but environmental management can prove to be a strong marketing tool for attracting investors and contribute to public health and poverty eradication, he added.

The report, Liveable Cities: The Benefits Of Urban Environmental Planning - published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Cities Alliance and ICLEI - Local Governments For Sustainability - showcases 12 cities around the world.

Bangkok, for example, is struggling to cope with the effects of population growth and the impact on the environment, including serious air pollution causing respiratory disease and deteriorating waterways.

It has put in a multi-pronged approach - Bangkok Agenda 21, initiated in 1998.

This blueprint for development over the next 20 years includes the development of mass transit, vehicle-emissions testing points and promoting the use of bicycles and alternative fuels such as ethanol and natural gas.

Community-level projects, including its Communities Love Canals project, ropes in the public to clean up the city's deteriorating waterways. Residents are encouraged to plant trees in their front yards, and containers provided to separate trash help the city cope with the 9,742 tonnes of garbage it generates each day.

Over in the province of Bohol in the Philippines, known for its eco-tourism attractions such as the famed Chocolate Hills, initiatives centre on preserving biodiversity and alleviating poverty by providing employment opportunities.

It now uses a tool called ecoBUDGET, an environmental management system that puts a price tag on natural resources and environmental goods so they can be incorporated into budgeting cycles.

In Yangzhou, China, which faces numerous environmental problems including damage to its wetlands, water shortages and deteriorating water quality, a conscientious decision to create an eco-city was taken in 1999 to encourage development that is socially, economically and ecologically balanced.

The multi-level approach, which earned it the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour last year, targets several key areas, including water management, the preservation of historical sites and an eco-centre to raise environmental consciousness.

It also includes an Eco Industrial Park, where industries will be required to reduce the environmental impact of production and use clean energy and renewable materials.

And in Cuba, besides innovative solutions in urban transport, there has also been an ambitious cleanup of the main river flowing through 20th-century province Bayamo and improvements to solid-waste management.

Its successes will be replicated in at least three secondary Cuban cities.

All of these cities turn the environment into a key asset and ensure it is properly integrated into urban-development decisions, providing 'significant benefits in every area of urban life, cutting across issues such as health, poverty, security and economic development', the report states.

Failing to do so can have worrying consequences, exemplified by a survey done last year by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and cited in the report.

Hong Kong's skies are often heavily polluted by its two coal-burning power plants, marine and road traffic and factories over the border in mainland China.

Over the last few weeks, its pollution levels have prompted Dr Anthony Hedley, professor of community medicine at the University of Hong Kong, to say that cleaning up the city's air was a 'medical emergency'.

Almost four out of five professionals based in Hong Kong were either thinking of leaving or knew others who had already left because of the quality of the natural environment.

Of those interviewed, 95 per cent were worried about the air quality and the potential long-term impact.

More than half also said they knew of professionals who had turned down jobs in Hong Kong because of the quality of the environment. Some 94 per cent ranked quality of the environment as the top or second most important factor in selecting a place to live.

'As society and the economy marches inexorably towards globalisation, cities across all regions must compete with each other to attract enterprise, investment and employment. The quality of life, of 'liveability', which a city offers is important in ensuring its future economic performance,' the report concludes.

This is especially important because even as cities try to gear up for a lower-energy future, they will also have to cope with the impact of climate change in the coming decades, Mr Steve Howard, chief of global environmental organisation The Climate Group, told The Sunday Times.

'It's about future proofing... We're running out of places to put carbon because the atmosphere is saturated. So our energy choices start becoming really important. Cities that invest in good public transport, smart buildings, they will have the competitive advantage.... So the planning needs to start now. The scale of the challenge is massive,' he said.