Great cities to live in - can the C40 make a difference?4 September 2013
National governments don't have the guts to stand up to climate change. They should give cities the powers they need to cut emissions and enjoy economic success - says Mark Watts of Arup. What do you think?
Mark is a director at Arup - the eco design firm credited on projects like the Olympic Park and Siemens' urban sustainability centre.
He leads Arup's work for The C40 - a network of the world's largest cities. He also spent eight years advising then London Mayor Ken Livingstone on climate change and sustainable transport.
In this two-part interview, Mark reveals:
- why he believes mayors are braver than ministers
- how governments are holding cities back
- what city networks like the C40 are trying to achieve
- exciting projects around the world.
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Have your say below
What role do cities have to play in fighting climate change? And what powers do they need to do this?
Can the C40 help make cities more liveable?
Please comment below.
About The C40
Back in 2005, Ken Livingstone saw an opportunity for cities to take a lead on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
He called a meeting with representatives from 18 megacities. As a result, these cities formed a network - sharing their experience on how to tackle climate change.
They also wanted to influence national governments.
By 2006 that network was 40 cities strong. Hence the name. There are now 63 cities in the C40.
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