Energy Efficient Cities: Assessment Tools and Benchmarking Practices

Urban areas account for two-thirds of global energy requirements while housing half of the world's population. With current projections indicating that approximately 70 percent of the world's population will live in cities by 2050, an increase in urban energy use is inevitable. In the face of this growing energy demand, developing climate-friendly urban energy solutions, while protecting the urban development that is crucial to socioeconomic progress in developing countries, is imperative.