Turn Cities Green to Save Trillions of Dollars, Say Economists

[eridani]

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Turn-Cities-Green-to-Save-Trillions-of-Dollars-Say-Economists-20150908-0009.html

The massive savings that could occur, should government adopt the efforts, could reach US$22 trillion by 2050, and by 2030 the equivalent of 3.7 gigatons of pollution could be avoided — higher than India’s present greenhouse gas output.

The report debunks the idea that investing in preventing climate change is too expensive to be worth while.

“There is now increasing evidence that emissions can decrease while economies continue to grow,” said Seth Schultz, a researcher for the C40 climate leadership group who advised on the report.

“Becoming more sustainable and putting the world – specifically cities – on a low carbon trajectory is actually feasible and good economics.”

According to the document, investment in public transport would have the greatest immediate effect, cutting air pollution strangling India and China and curtailing traffic and accidents in cities like Sao Paulo. Indeed as well as saving money, the report says, the changes could save time: bus lanes like those built in Buenos Aires could halve commuter times.

Ecuador is one country already committed to to lowering emissions through investment. The country’s socialist president, Rafael Correa, has invested US$5 billion in green infrastructure projects, and by 2016 Ecuador will be run 96 percent on renewable energy sources. Another mammoth project is introducing induction stoves into family kitchens, based on renewables rather than gas. The aim is to convert 3 million houses, out of a population of 14 million.

[Duppers]

1. The obvious question

Where's the political will in the large polluting countries--China and the U.S.?