Climate Action 2016-2017

Figure 1. CO 2
reductions in the 2DS by sector
TECHNOLOGY, TRANSPORT & URBANISATION
human health, or chart a different course –
one that delivers low-carbon growth, cleaner
air and a sharp improvement in health,
averting millions of preventable deaths each
year while at the same time taking significant
steps towards meeting targets under the Paris
Agreement.
PRACTICAL STEPS FORWARD
In recognition of the importance of the interlinked
issues of urbanisation, air pollution and climate
change, the IEA has dedicated two major
research efforts to this area over the past year.
Energy Technology Perspectives 2016 (ETP2016)
focused on technology and policy opportunities
to accelerate the transition to sustainable urban
energy systems, while the World Energy Outlook
Special Report: Energy and Air Pollution analysed
the global outlook for energy and air pollution and
proposed a pragmatic scenario to deliver both
climate and air pollution improvements.
"Cities can take
a leading role in
adopting, monitoring
and enforcing building
energy codes for new
construction."
The analysis in ETP2016 lays out an ideal
potential future in its 2°C Scenario (2DS). In
this scenario, the rising demand for energy
driven by urbanisation is still met, but smart
and sustainable policy and technology
choices mean that economic growth
and booming populations do not lead to
skyrocketing energy demand and emissions
growth (Figure 1).
This outcome can only come about through
a set of actions that collectively avoid the
lock-in of high-emissions urbanisation. Policy
at the national level must encourage the
deployment of clean energy technologies, and
include greenhouse gas emission reduction
targets, carbon pricing mechanisms, and
investment in energy research, development
and demonstration.
But these targets must then be
complemented by action at the local level.
To meet their renewable energy targets,
cities can provide detailed solar maps giving
valuable information on expected energy
yields and installation costs for buildings
and houses in various neighbourhoods,
for example. On transport and fossil fuel
emissions, cities can also invest in the long-
Figure 2. Global energy-related CO 2
emissions by scenario
Note: details of each scenario are given in World Energy Outlook Special Report: Energy and Air Pollution.
www.climateactionprogramme.org 105