Cities can help get us to net zero

Cities account for more than 70% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, but together with regions, they are also responsible for 69% of climate-related public investments.

This means that cities will be the backdrop for much of the heavy lifting in climate policy over the next several decades, across key areas like land-use, housing, waste, water, energy use, and transport.

The majority of energy-related CO2 emissions in cities are coming from buildings, highlighting the urgent need to improve the energy efficiency of homes and re-think the way we build.

While many countries have begun enforcing stringent standards for new builds, parts of the world where the housing stock is older face the challenge of retrofitting buildings that are considerably less energy efficient. In Europe this is is estimated to cost over EUR 100 billion annually.

Read the report on decarbonising buildings: Decarbonising Buildings in Cities and Regions.

Explore the subnational climate finance hub: Subnational Government Climate Finance Hub.