Thinking urban: Why cities are the key to global and national decarbonisation efforts
As COP29 drew to a close last week, here are three things the Government should do to reduce emissions here in the UK.
As COP29 drew to a close last week, here are three things the Government should do to reduce emissions here in the UK.
As COP29 drew to a close in Azerbaijan last week, a theme that came out of the discussions was that the battle against global warming hinges increasingly on cities’ efforts to decarbonise. While there have been wrangles over what should be done at the international level, here are three things the Government should do to reduce emissions here in the UK.Ìý
Density influences how people live their lives. Low-density housing developments on the edge of town bake in car dependency, while dense developments change the choices that people make on what they live in and how they get around.ÌýÌý
The issue in the UK is that its cities aren’t very dense. The likes of Manchester, Sheffield and even London lag behind large European cities like Geneva, Bilbao, or Naples.ÌýÌý
Delivering the UK’s net zero targets will depend on cities maximising the benefits of higher-density housing. The Government wants to build 1.5 million new homes before the end of this parliament. Ensuring this new housing is built with density in mind will help align increased housebuilding with the UK’s climate goals.Ìý
The design of towns and cities significantly impacts residents’ transport options. In areas with detached housing, public transport stops are often far apart, and services are infrequent due to low demand. This makes cars a more convenient choice, as indicated by rates of car ownership.Ìý
On the other hand, high-density areas offer greater access to public transport, with stops nearby, frequent services, and slower car travel due to higher congestion. This makes public transport and active travel more appealing than driving. As a result, public transport use is much higher in London than elsewhere in the UK, and over half of inner London households do not own a car, compared to the England of 22 per cent.Ìý
Alongside transport, UK cities have performed well in domestic emissions and have the potential to go further in reducing these.ÌýÌý
Here too, higher density is beneficial for emissions reductions, so helping cities to densify will underpin measures to reduce domestic emissions. For example, smaller homes and flats, common in urban areas, are more energy-efficient and emit less carbon, with new flats emitting 67 per centÌý less than new houses. Our analysis also suggests that emissions per square metre are 6 per cent lower in flats than in houses. Ìý
The national government can help local authorities deliver higher-density, low-carbon developments by supporting the expansion of heat networks through policies like . Dense urban areas are well-suited to these systems due to reduced heat loss (because of the shorter distance between source and point of consumption) and simpler connections and network integration. Their density means that they are better placed to use waste heat from sources such as waste facilities, underground systems, or data centres, following examples like Stockholm.Ìý
The UK won’t hit net zero without urban areas continuing to play an outsized role. International discussions at COP tend to feel theoretical. Densifying cities through a combination of planning policy and investment is one of the practical steps the UK will need to take if it is to hit its net zero goal.Ìý
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