Major Cities Can Take Climate Change Lead - Study
UK: June 24, 2008
LONDON - The world's major cities are also among the planet's worst
polluters but they have the solutions to most of their problems at their
fingertips, a leading environmental consultancy said on Monday.
To make the case more compelling, consultancy McKinsey said that most of the
available solutions would save more than they cost so made economic sense
while the remainder still made environmental sense despite their higher
cost.
"Most of this is dooable and cost effective and worth doing irrespective of
climate change," director Jeremy Oppenheim told a conference in London's
City Hall to present the findings of the research sponsored by German
industrial giant Siemens.
The study focused on London, a leading light in the international C40
grouping of major world cities which have joined forces to cut their
contribution to global warming.
The United Nations says cities already account for three-quarters of global
energy consumption and produce 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
It is a figure set to grow as the percentage of the world's population
living in cities rises from 50 percent now to 60 percent of the total by
2025 and 70 percent by 2050.
The McKinsey study noted that London, measured against four other major
cities -- New York, Rome, Stockholm and Tokyo -- on six key environmental
factors, performed relatively well on most counts.
Stockholm performed best on per capita carbon emissions from buildings,
industry and transport as well as municipal waste and water but was worse
than everyone but New York on air pollution.
Overall New York was the worst performer in all but transport and waste
where it was overtaken by Rome.
"London's score is probably six out of 10. The question is how to get all
the way to the 10," said Oppenheim.
He said using available technologies, and with a bit of inducement and
guidance from government locally and nationally, London with a population of
some eight million people could cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 44
percent relatively easily.
And the best part was that two-thirds of the measures including better
boilers, more efficient appliances, buildings insulation and low energy
lighting actually paid for themselves.
This was especially true with crude oil prices having doubled in the past
year and with domestic energy prices already up 15 percent this year and
forecast to rise by up to 45 percent by December.
He accepted that the 44 percent cut from 1990 levels by 2025 would fall well
short of the 60 percent London has set itself as a target but said it was a
major step in the right direction.
But Oppenheim warned against fashionable green solutions such as hybrid cars
and solar heat and power, all of which were currently expensive when costed
against the carbon they cut.
"We need to be thoughtful. It is very easy to get seduced by some headline
technologies," he said. "Go for the low cost things first and make this work
in terms of the economics."
Story by Jeremy Lovell
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
|