If climate-friendly development is possible, cities must play a big role. They account for over half of the world’s population and more than two-thirds of economic activity, energy use and energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Urbanization shows no signs of abating.
Yet local officials often lack the capacity, tools, or even the legal authority to attract funding for climate-friendly projects.
A report by the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance, released during the Paris climate change conference outlined several challenges and recommendations. Urbanists added others. The consensus boils down to four outstanding issues, all of which present opportunities for donors and implementers working on urban development.
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About the author
Bill Hinchbergerhinchberger
Bill Hinchberger is a global communications professional and educator. He studied at Berkeley and has taught at the Sorbonne. Based mostly in Paris, he spends quality time in Brazil and the United States, and works extensively in Africa and Latin America. He has served as an international correspondent for The Financial Times, Business Week, ARTnews, Variety, and others. One current focus of his work is content creation for foundations, NGOs and other organizations, especially those working on issues related to international affairs, the environment and development. He also runs training programs for professional journalists, notably in Africa, and is an associate of Rain Barrel Communications, a leading consultancy for social justice projects.
