Net zero for cities: Insights towards progress in the UK

From a policy perspective, energy policies are usually designed at the national, federal, provincial, or state levels and most cities lack control over core energy decarbonisation strategies such as ending use of unabated fossil fuels for electricity generation. Energy is one of the most regulated sectors. The integration of distributed energy resources and renewables is a major concern as well as the mismatch between regulations and the energy market.

One of the major challenges in decarbonising the transport sector is the cost of acquiring electric vehicles and the availability of charging infrastructure, which can make polices and initiatives redundant. The location, visibility and accessibility of charging stations must be taken into consideration and a supportive renewable electric grid should be in place to accelerate the uptake of cleaner transport.

Buildings are one of the defining features of cities and as urbanisation intensifies emissions are expected to continue to rise if the transition to Net zero is not accelerated. Buildings produce high levels of emissions, particularly from energy use for heating, cooling, and building operations. Seventy-five percent of global energy consumption occurs in cities and this is primarily attributed to the buildings sector.

The waste and sanitation sector typically generates fewer emissions than other sectors, but . remains a major contributor to greenhouse gases. As cities continue to grow, decarbonising waste management processes such as transportation and incineration will be critical. Water management is energy intensive and with rising energy prices across the globe, progress towards net zero may be slow.