A just published report shows that the governing bodies of cities and regional metropolises need to play an even bigger role in combating climate change in the years ahead. Not surprisingly the report demonstrates that large urban areas top the list for both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and that city management combined with governmental regulation and progressive changes to transport, building construction and infrastructure all will play key roles in changing the impact of emissions. While we often look at the general improvements that could be made to industrial pollutants from factories, airlines and the standard passenger car the two areas that will most contribute to emissions remain the mass density of our cities and livestock farming.

The report from OECD states that while our urban areas are key contributors to the overall issue they also stand to be at the greatest risk due to the risk of rising sea levels and more powerful and destructive storms. According to the report more than 150 million citydwellers within coastal cities are potentially at risk from possible climate change over the coming decades. OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria said:

“Cities are at the center of the problem, and given their role as the predominant consumers of energy, they are also a necessary part of the climate change solution. Urban policymakers should immediately start reshaping their cities’ futures, using better urban planning and policies to reduce energy use, cut greenhouse gas emissions and make their infrastructure more resilient.”

The OECD works to identify and help implement better practices in urban planning, public transport, housing and energy use to allow cities to better develop existing infrastructure and new planning or construction which will reduce an urban areas negative contribution to climate change. The report cites that many densely populated cities in Asia currently produce far lower CO2 emissions per capita than the equivalent cities in North America or Australia. Much of this is due to urban planning and the sprawling tendency of modern cities in the West and Australia. By the same token a city such as New York with a higher urban density performs far better than Los Angeles for example.

The report is interesting and somewhat intuitive but the bigger questions are how do you completely change the direction of an existing city where residents seek extra space associated with suburban lifestyles? Returning to urban planning and management which seeks high-density population and better land management built around an infrastructure of exceptional public transport won’t happen overnight. That’s not to say it’s not possible just that it takes the right sort of city leadership and zoning plus regulations to dictate the profile that a city will shape itself into. The blueprint for success is already happening in many Japanese and South Korean cities not to mention a defined change in approach in certain North American cities such as Calgary or Portland, Oregon. Sharing the responsibility for environmental awareness and change from large corporations and governments to everybody who is buying a home or commuting to work will be key in the years ahead. Good urban planning may well be one of the most important factors apart from the choices we make as consumers.

To read the full report from OECD please follow this link.