Cities tend to be overlooked as sites for nature-based climate solutions, but have tremendous potential
Cities are increasingly recognized as both key contributors to the climate change problem, and essential to solving the problem. Cities account for 70 percent of energy-related GHG emissions, the majority from heating and cooling buildings, which means they contribute significantly to the global loss of nature driven by climate change. Yet cities are also at risk from the impacts of climate change. By 2050, the economic cost of rising seas and flooding is expected to reach $1 trillion USD, and 800 million people in over 570 coastal cities will be at risk from flooding and storm surges. Addressing climate challenge requires both mitigation and adaptation strategies, and nature-based solutions are increasingly recognized as a powerful tool for both these strategies. Mitigation attends to the causes of climate change through reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation addresses climate impacts with measures to reduce vulnerability and build resilience.
