Low-energy urbanisation 'can help climate goals' (BBC) [View all]
By Mark Kinver
Environment reporter, BBC News
A study of 274 cities has helped shed light on energy consumption in urban areas and what can be done to make future urbanisation more efficient.
Globally, cities are best placed to mitigate emissions as urban areas are much more energy intensive than rural areas, say researchers.
Most people now live in urban areas, a trend that is accelerating as the global population continues to grow.
The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The UN estimates that almost four billion people - 53% of the world's population - currently reside in towns or cities. By the middle of this century, that figure is set to grow to 6.3 billion. In 1950, the urban population was under 750 million people.
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more: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30788005
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