Empowering Cities for a Net Zero Future: Unlocking Resilient, Smart, Sustainable Urban Energy Systems
Key Points:
- Urban Population and Economic Impact: Cities account for over 50% of the global population, 80% of global GDP, two-thirds of global energy consumption, and more than 70% of annual global carbon emissions. By 2050, it is expected that over 70% of the world's population will live in cities.
- Role of Smart Cities: Smart cities offer a significant opportunity to reduce energy consumption while meeting service demands, enhancing grid stability, and improving the quality of life. Next-generation energy systems leverage big data and digital technologies to collect and analyze data in real-time, enabling more efficient management of city services.
- Transformation of Energy Landscape: These solutions are transforming the energy landscape by creating new synergies to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, and enhance resilience.
- Role of Local Governments: Local governments are uniquely positioned to deliver on the net-zero emissions agenda. The report illustrates various opportunities, challenges, and policy solutions that can help city-level governments capture the significant value in efficient and smart digital energy systems, regardless of their unique contexts.
- Support from National Governments: National governments can play a crucial role in helping cities overcome barriers to progress and accelerate clean energy transitions through digitalization.
Summary:
This report emphasizes the critical role of cities in achieving net-zero emissions goals and highlights the potential of smart cities to drive this transformation. It underscores the need for local and national governments to collaborate in leveraging digital technologies to create resilient, sustainable, and efficient urban energy systems.
