Urbanisation is one of the most important drivers of productivity and growth in the global economy. Between 2014 and 2050, the urban population is projected to increase by around 2.5 billion people, reaching 66% of the global population. By 2030, China’s cities alone will be home to nearly 1 billion people.
Almost 3 billion people, in low- and middle-income countries mostly, still rely on solid fuels (wood, animal dung, charcoal, crop wastes and coal) burned in inefficient and highly polluting stoves for cooking and heating.
Today, the transport sector accounts for almost a quarter of energy-based, polluting CO2 emissions, a share that is expected to grow. If no countermeasures are taken, CO2 emissions from the transport sector are projected to rise by about 70% between 2010 and 2050.
China can increase its use of renewable energy from 13 to 26 per cent by 2030, according to a new report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The growth in renewable energy use would represent nearly a fourfold increase in the share of modern renewables between 2010 and 2030.
