WEBVTT

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- What would the world look like

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if extreme climate change becomes reality?

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Well, here's just one example.

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If temperatures were to rise
by three more degrees Celsius,

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Shanghai, a city of 24
million people in China

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will be wiped off the map.

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And it's not just the only coastal city,

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that's at risk of disappearing
beneath rising sea levels.

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Globally 2019 was the second
hottest year on record.

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Cities all throughout the world,

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experienced record setting
summer temperatures.

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In June, 2019, temperatures
in Churu, India,

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exceeded 120 degrees Fahrenheit,

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to the point that the
government warned citizens

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to avoid drinking coffee, tea, and alcohol

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at a fear of overheating.

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Heat waves are becoming more severe

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and come in place due to climate change.

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Projected to lead to
deaths at the same rate

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as all infectious diseases combined.

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This map here, shows the
increase in the severity

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and prevalence of heat
waves if the world follows

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a moderate warming scenario.

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By 2050, summertime highs
of 95 degrees Fahrenheit,

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or 35 degrees Celsius,
will become the new normal,

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in nearly 1000 cities
triple the number of cities

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that currently experience
these sweltering temperatures.

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But the irony is that
cities are not just affected

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by climate change,
they're also causing it.

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Cities consume between 60 and
80% of global energy resources

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and account for approximately 70%

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of global carbon dioxide emissions.

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As we can see here in this map,

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the light blue and the yellow areas

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correspond to those with the highest

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fossil fuel based carbon
dioxide emissions,

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and also correspond to
major urban centers.

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Aside from cities energy
consumption, growing urban areas,

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convert the planets green surfaces

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to buildings and pavement,
and these can absorb

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more of the sun's energy,

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than the natural grasslands and forests

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that they've replaced,
making urban areas hotter

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than their surrounding environments.

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This phenomenon is called
the urban heat island effect.

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Here in Singapore, downtown neighborhoods

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can be as much as seven degrees Celsius

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or 13 degrees Fahrenheit hotter,

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than the rain forests that were once here.

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While it's true that
cities are contributing

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to climate change, they're also key actors

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in forging low carbon emission pathways.

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In dense cities like New York
city and Tokyo for instance,

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the average resident is responsible

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for over two tons of carbon
dioxide emissions per capita.

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This is less than a
single passenger car emits

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in a single year in the United States.

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Cities around the world are stepping up

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to tackle climate change,
with ambitious policies

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that often exceed the requirements
of national governments.

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Take Copenhagen for example,

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it's committed to become
carbon neutral by 2025

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and Glasgow in Scotland also plans

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to become carbon neutral by 2030.

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Today, there are more than 10,000 cities

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all around the world, that are committing

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to their own ambitious climate actions,

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plans that include
emissions reduction targets,

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clean energy and sustainable
transit projects,

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and also energy efficiency policies,

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that can save people and cities,

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money, energy, and emissions.

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Recent analysis shows
there's just 6,000 cities

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combined with regions and companies,

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are undertaking climate initiatives

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that can reduce global emissions

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by up to two gigatons of carbon
dioxide equivalent in 2030.

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That's roughly 4% of the
world's total annual emissions

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on top of what national
governments have pledged.

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And this is just the start,
imagine what could happen

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if 20,000 cities were to band together

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to curb climate change.

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While this potential for
city's climate action

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sounds really promising,
cities must work to make sure

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that these policies are
implemented fairly and equitably.

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Where you live in a city,
your income, your race,

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research is showing that
these factors can determine

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your access to environmental benefits

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like green space and sustainable transit,

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and they can also determine your share

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of environmental burdens
like air pollution

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and climate change.

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We observe these neighborhood
level disparities,

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particularly clearly, in
the side-by-side images

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of Los Angeles, comparing
income on the left,

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and tree cover on the right.

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The darkest green neighborhood
has an average annual income

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of over a hundred thousand
U.S. dollars per person.

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And over 70% of it has tree cover.

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The blue neighborhoods
towards the bottom of the map,

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only have a third of the income per person

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and less than 5% tree
cover, 70% versus five.

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This disparity has real consequences.

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Green spaces are often public spaces,

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and they're known to be associated

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with social and economic wellbeing.

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They can also reduce crime
and foster social cohesion.

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Trees also can help to
filter harmful air pollution

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and provide evaporative cooling and shade

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and relief for some of
these high temperatures.

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So not only are those poor neighborhoods

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at a greater disadvantage
from access to green space,

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but they're also more
vulnerable to air pollution

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and climate change.

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We can observe particularly
pronounced disparities

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and urban heat according to race.

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Our latest research shows that 97%

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of major urban areas in the United States,

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are exposing black populations
and people of color,

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to a full degree Celsius
higher of urban heat

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than their white counterparts.

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Take a look at this map of my hometown

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of Greenville, South Carolina,
unlike the name suggests

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it is not green for everyone.

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The hottest areas of the
county shown on the map in red

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correspond with the highest percentages

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of black and poor populations.

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And we're seeing similar
patterns throughout cities,

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all across the United States.

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To address these inequalities,

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cities are starting to
strategize and develop plans,

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that can ensure that climate benefits

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are provided to all of
their citizens equally.

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Take Bogota, the capital
city of Columbia for example,

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it has one of the most
extensive bike networks

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in all of Latin America,
connecting people to jobs,

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education centers, and
recreational opportunities.

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A new bike highway project can allow

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for around 42,000 daily bicycle
trips, and potentially avoid

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270,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

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In Africa, where many cities

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lack universal access to electricity,

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many grids are providing
approximately 73 million households

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with clean electricity.

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So as we can see from these examples,

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tackling climate change
has to start in cities.

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Many cities are starting
to flip the script

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on climate change, proving
to be part of the solution

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and not just the problem.

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And bringing the kind of
innovative solutions that we need

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for a more just and
sustainable world, thank you.