June 06, 2021

What will it take for cities to go carbon neutral?

27 minutes

Cities emit around three-quarters of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations, and over half of the world’s population now live in one. Many have set ambitious targets to slash and offset their emissions, in the hope of neutralising their impact on the environment and slowing climate change.

Some are aiming to do this very soon. Copenhagen’s goal is 2025. More than 700 others have committed to targets over the following decades. But how does a city, choked with traffic and packed full of buildings that require huge amounts of energy, actually go about achieving carbon neutral goals?

Joining presenters Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell:

Nick Garnett, BBC reporter

Dr Seppo Junnila, professor of real estate business at Aalto University, Finland

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone

Mark Watts, executive director, C40 Cities

Producer: Darin Graham

Series producer: Rosamund Jones

Editor: Emma Rippon

Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

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