Urban decarbonization policies and strategies: A sectoral review

F. Soares, M.C. Silva and I. Azevedo

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2025, vol. 215, issue C

Abstract: Cities hold the lion's share of global greenhouse gas emissions. The continued increase of urbanization rates and the contribution of urban activities to climate change places urban areas at the heart of global decarbonization efforts. Cities worldwide have implemented a diversity of policy agendas, with those from the European Union being amongst the most ambitious, seeking to become net-zero by 2050. This study provides a literature review of decarbonization policies and strategies in global cities across sectors (e.g. buildings, transport, digitalization and cross-cutting programs). It aims at identifying existing trends and gaps in policy adoption and implementation, as well as the respective challenges and opportunities to help grasp the most effective policies in each sector. The role of different stakeholders in urban decarbonization is also discussed, alongside the key factors of successful policy deployment, including the importance of monitoring and evaluation. This review is expected to provide useful insights to local level decision-makers, as further decarbonization efforts are needed in the pursuit of carbon neutrality goals, and climate change mitigation.

Keywords: Cities; Decarbonization; Transport; Buildings; Digitalization; Policies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2025.115617

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