Abstract
The Low Carbon Future Cities (LCFC) project aims at facing a three dimensional challenge by developing an integrated city roadmap balancing: low carbon development, gains in resource efficiency and adaptation to climate change. The paper gives an overview of the first outcomes of the analysis of the status quo and assessment of the most likely developments regarding GHG emissions, climate impacts and resource use in Wuxi—the Chinese pilot city for the LCFC project. As a first step, a detailed emission inventory following the IPCC guidelines for Wuxi has been carried out. In a second step, the future development of energy demand and related CO2 emissions in 2050 were simulated in a current policy scenario (CPS). In parallel, selected aspects of material and water flows for the energy and the building sector were analyzed and modeled. In addition, recent and future climate impacts and vulnerability were investigated. Based on these findings, nine key sectors with high relevance to the three dimensions could be identified. Although Wuxi’s government has started a path to implement a low carbon plan, the first results show that, for the shift towards a sustainable low carbon development, more ambitious steps need to be taken in order to overcome the challenges faced.
Highlights
Cities have always been hot spots of innovations, but since the beginning of industrialization they have faced severe environmental impact due to the high concentration of industries, population and infrastructures
In the coming decades, cities can be seen as hot spots of greenhouse gas emissions, being areas most exposed to the impacts of climate change [1]
As Wuxi hosts several industries with potentially high process-related emissions, the current total emissions are higher than the figures calculated in the inventory
Summary
Cities have always been hot spots of innovations, but since the beginning of industrialization they have faced severe environmental impact due to the high concentration of industries, population and infrastructures. In the coming decades, cities can be seen as hot spots of greenhouse gas emissions, being areas most exposed to the impacts of climate change [1] This is particular true for cities in developing regions, where the urbanization rate and number of industries is increasing at a high pace. The aim of the project is to develop an integrated, urban, low carbon adaptation and circular economy strategy to address the large mitigation potential in urban areas by, and through, engaging cities and stakeholders in both China and Germany in an integrated approach. The purpose of the present study within the LCFC project was the analysis of the status quo and the assessment of the likely future development for the city of Wuxi, taking into account three project dimensions: greenhouse gas emissions and related mitigation potentials; vulnerability to climate change and adaptation options material and resource uses.
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