The world's cities are engines for innovation, growth and economic activity, but they are also a key contributor to climate change.
While cities only cover 2 per cent of the world's surface and are home to slightly over half of the world's population, they consume a disproportionate 78 per cent of the world's energy, and produce over 70 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
By 2050, urban populations are projected to increase to 68 per cent - up from 55 per cent today - with close to 90 per cent of this increase happening in Asia and Africa. Clearly, cities have a major role to play in addressing climate change for the world to have a chance of limiting global warming to within 1.5oC.
How can we reduce carbon emissions from electricity consumption, transportation, buildings and industrial activities in cities, without compromising on continued population and economic growth in our cities? What role does nature and biodiversity play in this balance?
Presented by Temasek's Ecosperity platform, the Sustain-a-City: An Urban Innovation Challenge invites students to put their imagination and creativity to the test!
