How Can Smart Cities Fight Climate Change
Climate change isn’t just one of the biggest issues currently faced by the world today, but also one of the key topics of concern for citizens everywhere. Problems arising from and as a direct result of climate change have begun to reconfigure how many governments are approaching city strategies, looking for improvements that create more sustainable solutions. But these issues, as research shows, still need much greater awareness brought to them.
According to research from Milestone Systems, 80% of Brits want their local authority to take more action to fight climate change. 230 councils in the UK have, in fact, already declared a climate emergency in their regions. However, only under half (47%) of Brits are aware that the increased use of data and technology can help in delivering improvements that can reduce our carbon footprints. The younger generation, in this respect, have much higher awareness (52% of 18 to 24-year-olds, vs 31% for over 65’s).
Countries around the world have set ambitious targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. If such goals are to be achieved, cities will need to be significantly more energy efficient, and prioritise the switch to renewables as a matter of urgency. After all, cities are responsible for the majority of the world’s economic activity, including energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. On top of all this, when it comes to traffic, there is a need to improve flow, reduce journey times, and increase safety - encouraging the use of public transport through greener and affordable transit options is key in this respect, while also driving the switch to electric private vehicles for essential use.
Many of the methods for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in smart cities rely on sensors, either to record and relay real-time consumption information or to detect resident activity of residents. But these sensors need to be connected to a central processing system that allows data analysis and a better automation of the process.
A key conclusion that we can draw from this is that, at the base of tackling climate change lies technology and its developments, and how these can be implemented in urban planning strategies around the world to make the process of cutting down emissions smoother and more efficient. With the many transformations brought about by Covid-19, more and more people expect their elected leaders and city officials to adopt new, tech-driven solutions that bring with them real, solid change, and are genuinely future-proof. This is a trend that will only continue to grow over the next few years, and cities that take the lead in adapting to new developments will greatly benefit from them.
