Saturday 20 June 2009

How Cities Can Come Together To Build Effective Collations and Combat Climate Change

Nicky Gavron, the former deputy mayor of London, says there is a need for the global urban community to come together and fight climate change. Talking as part of the panel called 'The Movement - How Can We Build Effective Collations?' she outlined the ways cities can, and should, help stop the situation from worsening.

She sees the burgeoning movement of cities grouping together as very important in forming a global movement of citizens. Many cities have decided they can't wait for nations to take action as their populations are incredibly responsible for climate change - 75% of all energy consumed is used in urbanized areas.

Conceding that urban populations are a massive part of the problem, Gavron also sees them as a massive part of the solution. Cities have the levers required to engage with businesses and form collaborations for economic opportunities. She argues that in many cases cities anchor and drive national economies, so can take a leading role in the fight against climate change.

Gavron is proud of the formation of C40Cities who are working together to cut carbon, and crucially says 22 of them are in developing companies (including China where she has recently returned from educating Mayors and Deputy Mayors).

However such cities need more powers from government as she says there is no city of any size, anywhere in the world, that has the power to do anything about existing buildings.

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