Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from urban transport is fundamental to deliver on the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals relating to climate change and air quality. Decarbonising urban mobility must be placed at the core of climate change mitigation efforts, as a considerable share of total greenhouse gas emissions originate from the use of private vehicles and other carbon-intensive modes of transport in cities. We are at a critical juncture, as urban populations continue to grow and remain largely dependent on polluting private vehicles.

Cities are home to over half the world’s population and their rapid growth is projected to continue. Currently, cities are responsible for 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions and this share will increase as the world becomes increasingly urban (C40, 2019[1]). This makes climate action at the city-level critical to limiting the rise in global average temperature.

This chapter frames the overall importance of decarbonising transport in low-density urban areas, the responses available to policy makers and their anticipated impact. The challenge is considerable, as cities are currently home to 50% of world’s population but are responsible for 60-80% of global CO2 emissions. Urban policy action is imperative, since city populations and global urban land cover will continue growing and technological solutions alone will not suffice to offset that growth. Rapid policy interventions on the areas detailed in the report should therefore be prioritised if the targeted emission reductions are to be achieved.