Sustainable Cities:Policy Intervention at the “Right” Level

Arnulf GrublerVienna Energy Forum (VEF) June 19, 2015

Policies at the “Right” Level: Key Messages

• 2 opposing hierarchies:-- level of impact-- policy leverage

• Optimal entry point at the meso level:-- efficiency-- urban form

• Larger impact from policy integration• But requires new:

-- analytics (inventories & models)-- institutional coordination (across sectors & jurisdictions)

Hierarchy in Urban Energy/GHG Drivers and Policy Leverages (GEA, 2012)

1. Spatial division of labor(trade, industry structure, bunkers)

2. Income (consumption)3. Efficiency of energy end-use

(buildings, processes,vehicles, appliances)

4. Urban form(density↔public transport↔carownership↔functional mix)

5. Energy systems integration(co-generation, heat-cascading)

6. Urban renewables

Decreasing orderof importance

Increasing level ofurban policy leverage

Direct and Embodied Urban Energy Use in Asian Cities:Lack of standardized accounting beyond direct flows and territorial

accounts

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

Tokyo (90) Tokyo (95) Beijing (92) Beijing (97) Shanghai(92)

Shanghai(97)

Ener

gy U

se (E

J)

Embodied

Direct

Optimal Entry Point: Meso level

1. Spatial division of labor(trade, industry structure, bunkers)

2. Income (consumption)3. Efficiency of energy end-use

(buildings, processes,vehicles, appliances)

4. Urban form(density↔public transport↔carownership↔functional mix)

5. Energy systems integration(co-generation, heat-cascading)

6. Urban renewables

Decreasing orderof importance

Increasing level ofurban policy leverage

SynCity Model Simulations of Urban Policy Leverages

6

814 Energy Systems Analysis Arnulf Grubler

Medium tohigh density

Institutional Integration

• Functional: water-, energy, transport-”sheds”• Spatial:

-- territorial (city+hinterland)-- supply chains (global, “fair trade”, C-footprint)

• Regulatory/Business Models:-- joint infrastructures & supply bundling basic + high value added services, e.g. pipes (DH, H2O) AND cables (IT)

Q/Comments to: gruebler@iiasa.ac.at

Thank You!