The World Economic Forum has launched an open-access solutions toolbox for urban decarbonization for cities looking for inspiration and guidance in their race towards net-zero.
Launched at the COP 27 climate summit in Egypt, the toolbox contains more than 300 case studies drawn from more than 150 cities around the world, offering solutions “to reduce emissions while also boosting economic development, creating jobs, and improving air quality,” Kristen Panerali, head of the WEF’s energy, materials and infrastructure program, said in a release.
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Site visitors can either browse the “first-of-its-kind platform” using solution categories like “built environment” or “water and waste management,” or they can search for targeted solutions. This latter option allows the user to generate a tailored report based on a detailed snapshot of a city’s priority needs and concerns, given its population density, the relative health of its electricity grid, and per capita GDP.
There are hundreds of solutions currently listed in the toolbox. Each entry explains what a particular solution involves, where it can best be deployed, and what factors will enable or hinder deployment.
“Cities have a critical role to play in the race to reach net-zero,” writes the WEF, citing estimates that some 68% of people will live in carbon-intensive cities by 2050, up from 56% today. “Although most of the solutions to reduce global carbon emissions exist, they are not being adopted and scaled rapidly enough.”
WEF created the toolbox in collaboration with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), the Basel Agency for Sustainable Energy (BASE), and the U.S. Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
