SGC_issuu

Editorial
S A
U I
S N
T
More than
50 percent of
people in the
world live in
cities, and that
percentage is
expected to
rise to at least
70 percent by
2050.
In Germany and the rest of Europe, 75 percent of
the population already lives in urban
agglomerations, and Singapore is one of the few
countries in the world to have a 100 percent
urban population. With cities as the main
consumers of energy, both countries will save
substantial costs and energy in the decades to
come by working towards sustainable living.
A project on climate change, conducted by the
New Climate Economy in September 2015,
stated that investing in public and low-emission
transport, efficient buildings, and waste
management in cities could generate savings of
USD 17 trillion by 2050. It could also cut
greenhouse gas emissions by 3.7 gigatons per
year by 2030, more than the current annual
emissions of India. With this much at stake, urban
areas have become increasingly important as
testbeds for smart technologies that promote
sustainability.
28