Greenovation: urban leadership on climate change

Collectively, cities take up a relatively tiny amount of land on the earth, yet emit 72 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Clearly, cities need to be at the center of any broad effort to reduce climate change. This text argues that too many cities are only implementing random acts of greenness that will do little to address the climate crisis. It instead calls for 'greenovation' - using the city as a test bed for adopting and perfecting green technologies for more energy-efficient buildings, transportation, and infrastructure more broadly. Further, the work contends that while many city mayors cite income inequality as a pressing problem, few cities are connecting climate action and social justice-another aspect of greenovation.

In Greenovation, noted urban policy scholar Joan Fitzgerald explains why efforts to reduce climate change have to start in cities and calls for a policy of "greenovation." "Greenovation" policies use the city as a test bed for adopting and perfecting green technologies for more energy-efficient buildings, transportation, and other fundamental infrastructures of contemporary life.

Collectively, cities take up a relatively tiny amount of land on the earth, yet emit 72 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Clearly, cities need to be at the center of any broad effort to reduce climate change. This text argues that too many cities are only implementing random acts of greenness that will do little to address the climate crisis. It instead calls for 'greenovation' - using the city as a test bed for adopting and perfecting green technologies for more energy-efficient buildings, transportation, and infrastructure more broadly. Further, the work contends that while many city mayors cite income inequality as a pressing problem, few cities are connecting climate action and social justice-another aspect of greenovation.