Study: Cities don't cause climate change

LONDON, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- A British study concludes cities are being unfairly blamed for most greenhouse gas emissions and that threatens efforts to fight climate change.

David Satterthwaite of the International Institute for Environment and Development in London says cities are often blamed for 75 percent to 80 percent of emissions, but the true value is closer to 40 percent.

"Blaming cities for greenhouse gas emissions misses the point that cities are a large part of the solution," said Satterthwaite. "Well planned, well governed cities can provide high living standards that do not require high consumption levels and high greenhouse gas emissions."

Satterthwaite, using data from the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, determined only two-fifths of all greenhouse gases from human activities are generated within cities. The research also highlights how it can be misleading to allocate greenhouse gas emissions to places.

For instance, emissions from power stations should be allocated to those that consume the electricity, not the places where the power stations are located, Satterthwait said. Emissions generated by industries should likewise be allocated to the person consuming the goods the industries produce.

The research appears in the October issue of the journal Environment and Urbanization.