INTRODUCTION: CITIES AND THE URGENT CHALLENGES ■ 3elsewhere. Complementing this volume, the Energy Sector Management and
Assistance Program at the World Bank has published selected papers from this
cluster on energy effi ciency in cities (Bose 2010).
Th e third cluster dealt with fi nance and the economic incentives related to cli-
mate change. Th e papers in this cluster focused more on fi nancing requirements
and the diffi culties that cities may face in meeting these requirements and less
on the use of market-based instruments and policies such as carbon fi nance,
taxes, or incentives to change behaviors or encourage intercity collaboration.
Th e fourth and fi ft h clusters were concerned with the areas of institutions
and governance and the social aspects of climate change. Both clusters produced
important papers demonstrating the value of early commitment and participa-
tion in cities, as well as the potential to use local development initiatives for
mainstreaming climate change concerns in cities.
Th e eight commissioned research papers are representative of the fi ve clus-
ters and cover issues such as the measurement of GHG emissions, city indica-
tors, energy effi ciency in buildings, and the importance of urban form. Papers
were commissioned to ensure that leading, cutting-edge research was the orga-
nizing principle of the symposium and to provide better coverage of climate
risk assessment and resilience, the role of institutions and governance, and the
social aspects of climate change.
Th e symposium was an intense and research-rich three-day learning event.
It became clear that experts and academics have diff ering views on any number
of questions, but the areas of consensus are far greater than the areas of diver-
gence. Although researchers continue to improve our knowledge of the world,
decision makers cannot wait for all doubts or diff erences to be resolved. Moving
forward, there is increasing urgency to get cities involved in climate change, not
only in taking greater leadership roles but also in contributing to cutting-edge
research at the city scale, defi ning practical solutions for urban and periurban
areas, and ensuring that research is translated into local policy options. Th e
symposium represents a start on this longer-term journey in understanding the
links between cities and climate change—the body of research and projects on
cities and climate change continues to grow rapidly.
Th is publication presents an edited selection of eight papers from the sym-
posium that cover both climate change mitigation and adaptation. Examples
and case studies from cities in industrialized and developing countries are
included, and attention is paid to the perspectives of the poor in adapting to
climate change. Of necessity, these papers represent only a small segment of the
vast and rich range of knowledge brought together by the symposium. Abstracts
of a further selection of symposium papers are included in the appendix to this
volume. Th e complete set of symposium papers is available on the symposium’s
website, accessible through http://www.worldbank.org/urban.