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Arup highlights impact of climate change action

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Charlotte S Charlotte Fernández UKIMEA Press Office,Leeds
24 September 2014

New report created with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group shows cities could curb 13GtCO2e in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Arup Group Chairman, Gregory Hodkinson, joined more than 120 Heads of State and the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, at the UN Climate Summit in New York as part of a series of activities taking place during Climate Week.

He led the Arup team at the launch of a new report highlighting some of the actions cities around the world are taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

The ‘Global Aggregation of City Climate Commitments’ report was produced by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) and Arup in partnership with ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, United Cities and Local Governments, UN Habitat, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change and the World Resources Institute.

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The new report shows that C40 cities alone have doubled climate action just in the last two years. If we continue at this rate, we could save GHG emissions totalling 13GtCO2e against the business as usual scenario by 2050. Clearly, there is momentum for change. ” Paula Kirk Paula Kirk Director, Climate and sustainability

According to the report, some 228 global cities, representing 436 million people, have already set GHG reduction goals.

 
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What we have is population growth that could see almost two billion more people on the planet by 2050 combined with a rapid demographic shift towards towns and cities. If we don’t design tomorrow’s infrastructure to lower carbon and more resilient standards, we face some dire outcomes. I believe we can do better. This is why I want Arup to be an agent for change, helping to create the standards we need to deliver a healthier, wealthier and more secure future for all. ” Greg Hodkinson Gregory Hodkinson Former Chair of Arup Group

In recent years, Arup has worked with many groups such as the C40, the Clinton Climate Initiative, the Rockefeller Foundation and the World Economic Forum to provide practical tools for change and a strategic roadmap toward a more resilient and sustainable future.