Even in the northern hemisphere, where the impact could be less than elsewhere, the effects from a rise of two degrees will be felt by every town and city. As more and more of the world’s population crowds into cities, the urban environment needs to become a better place to live: a place that improves health, well-being and economic prosperity while simultaneously – and dramatically – reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This means re-designing how we think and how we organise our lives. It requires courage, vision and leadership. These are being shown by some places such as Manchester, Seattle and Toronto, which recognise climate change as one of several critical.
