Net zero: can cities become carbon-neutral on their own? What the evidence suggests
Published: 21 August 2023
Research insight
Many UK cities have committed to achieving net zero ahead of the government target of 2050 but how much can cities and local councils actually do to achieve net zero? Glasgow’s experience suggests they can play a positive role.
In this article for The Conversation website Professor Graeme Roy, Professor in Economics and College of Social Sciences Dean of External Engagement examines the cacapity of individual cities to make a contribution to net zero targets.
More than two-thirds (67%) of the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change originated in cities in 2020. It is not surprising, therefore, that mayors have joined national politicians in setting targets for reducing emissions within their jurisdictions.
Many UK cities have committed to achieving net zero ahead of the government target of 2050 (in Scotland, it is 2045). Are these pledges realistic? How much can cities and local councils actually do on their own to achieve net zero? A lot, certainly – but their capacity to cut emissions is constrained.
Ambitious targets provide a reference point but But unrealistic targets, or failure to communicate the scale of coordinated and complex changes needed to achieve them, risk undermining confidence in the overall campaign,
Policies may also falter if there is insufficient coordination between city planners, business leaders and politicians. In a recent paper, I looked at some of these issues in Glasgow with fellow researchers. Glasgow’s experience suggests cities can play a positive role in this process by convening local groups and asking them to focus their efforts on net zero.
Read the full article on The Conversation
First published: 21 August 2023