Study: cities not biggest cause of climate change

30 Sep 2008 | Author: Jeanette Wiemers, newsbriefs editor | Print version | Send to a friend

Researchers say cities shouldn’t be blamed for majority of greenhouse gas emissions

Contrary to figures quoting cities as responsible for up to 80% of the world’s greenhouse emissions, a new study from the International Institute for Environment and Development says the true value is roughly half that, closer to 40%. In the study, researchers used data from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to show that only about two-fifths of greenhouse gases generated from human activities are generated within cities, with the remainder coming mostly from agriculture and heavy industry.

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