Marter Cities and The Key to Net Zero Emissions

Abstract

Since human economic activity accounts for about 85% of global carbon emissions, cities are the key to energy conservation and emission reduction. Urban centres, therefore, need to use less energy and use more renewable energy to reduce emissions considerably. It is anticipated that "smart cities" will be essential to accomplishing these goals through smart technology and data analysis to improve citizens' quality of life, optimize city operations, and enhance the standard of public services and welfare for its citizens. This study investigates two instances of best-practice cities paving the way for decarbonization from a qualitative standpoint, the example of New York City (New York, USA) and Chicago (Illinois, USA). This study qualitatively analyzes the emerging best practice initiatives and highlights good patterns among these cities. This research attempted to determine which critical variables in the literature on urban climate action were being addressed in climate action plans and whether cities were going above and beyond what the literature recommended, specifically, the industries, emission-reducing pathways, implementation management, and leading players.