Mr. Ban told the representatives of some 1,200 American cities with a population exceeding 30,000: “Your efforts can have an outsize impact."
“You know the potential catastrophe that lies in store if present trends continue: extreme weather, market disruptions, inundated coastlines," he said. “You also know the role of cities in climate change - for good and ill alike."
Cities consume more than two-thirds of the world's energy and account for roughly the same percentage of global carbon dioxide emissions, he said.
Lauding American cities for “already making great advances towards energy efficiency in transit, infrastructure and street lights" and producing, clean, renewable energy, he said: “The smart money is on smart cities - resilient, energy efficient, poised to profit from new, clean, green innovations that will redefine the urban landscape of 21st century." Read the full report here.
Source: UN News Centre.
