Cities have clearly played a major role in the creation of the problem of anthropogenic climate change and they will form a central part of any response. No effective global collaborative agreement to tackle climate change can be delivered without the full involvement of cities. Yet the evidence suggests that measures that make cities work better in terms of emissions and sustainability, are also measures that make them work better as prosperous and attractive places to live and work.
Cities are well placed to lead the process of low-carbon innovation. They combine a mix of specialisation and diversity derived from a concentration of people and economic activity that generates a fertile environment for innovation in ideas, technologies and processes. They produce and distribute the resources that provide better livelihoods for urban and rural residents alike. Their size and economic complexity mean that city-specific problems such as congestion, waste, education and crime require considered, city-specific public intervention. At the same time high population density and compactness can allow for economics of scale and collaboration.