How Can Cities Combat Climate Change?

Written By Teacher: Teresa Pettitt-Kenney

Hi there! My name is Teresa and I just finished my Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and am excited to pursue environmental education in the future! I am extremely passionate about climate change, equitable climate action, and how education can work to address these issues. 

Cities are large communities that bring people together, offer opportunities, and provide services to their residents. But despite all the benefits, cities are also significant contributors to climate change. Explore the complex concept of cities with your students and discuss how to make urban areas more eco-friendly. Make it fun with activities and lessons that encourage students to design their own sustainable Nature City. Empower students to take action by exploring lessons on green careers that address climate change within cities, such as Chief Heat Officer: Green Career Lesson.

Written By: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

The MIT Climate Change Engagement Program, a part of MIT Climate HQ, provides the public with nonpartisan, easy-to-understand, and scientifically-grounded information on climate change and its solutions.

Cities concentrate people into small areas for good reason.  From the smallest towns to sprawling metropolitan regions of more than 30 million people, urban places make it easier to find work, products and services, and a range of housing choices. Cities also offer unique amenities: educational institutions, community groups, arts and cultural assets, entertainment and much more. Today, more than half of humanity chooses to live and work in cities.

Concentrating people and activities makes cities major consumers of energy and sources of the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change. Estimates range from a little over one-half to two-thirds of global energy consumption, and about half to as much as 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions, are directly and indirectly tied to urban economies. And because cities concentrate people, buildings and infrastructure, they are also uniquely vulnerable to a range of climate risks. Rising sea levels and stronger storms can lead to dangerous coastal urban flooding, and extreme rain storms can cause flash flooding in cities far from the ocean. Heatwaves can threaten tens of thousands in densely populated city centers from Karachi to London, where dark pavement captures and prolongs the sun’s heat. Changes in the climate are threatening freshwater supplies and electric grids.