Cities have been recognized as key drivers toward the successful governance of resources and as the front line in combating climate change. But the economic divide between the Global North and South that historically has shaped debates on urbanization and climate change could soon be overshadowed by inequalities related to a potentially stronger disparity between rural and urban areas: over carbon emissions. New research analyzing data from more than 200 countries over five decades shows that countries’ rates of urbanization correlate more with carbon emissions than wealth (in terms of gross domestic product per capita). As countries urbanize, their cities’ contributions of carbon emissions and greenhouse gases start to become disproportionately high in comparison with their population and wealth.

Read more at citiscope.org