The increasing emission divide between cities of the Global North and Global South: Towards adjustable mitigation scenarios at the city level

Abstract

The emission divide between large developed and developing cities is increasing, making it unlikely that the Paris Agreement will be met. Herein, we examine how the 424 largest cities globally, each with one million or more residents, contribute to the global emissions gap and examine the increasing emission divide between developed and developing cities. We find that 302 cities lack emissions data, and the overall emission rate has been increasing at an average of 7.9% per annum. Furthermore, only 31 cities have achieved reductions in the emissions gap, all of which are cities in the developed world. Even though cities are responsible for ∼75% of global CO2 emissions, science lacks practical policies for mitigation where resources are scarce. Accordingly, we propose new policy directions to lessen this divide, and we urge the development of city-oriented mitigation science and practical policies to help cities around the world develop specific mitigation policies based on their economic feasibility.