© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016 1
J. Jupesta, T. Wakiyama (eds), Low Carbon Urban Infrastructure
Investment in Asian Cities, Cities and the Global Politics of the
Environment, DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-59676-5_
CHAPTER 11.1 GREEN INVESTMENT IN ASIAN CITIES
The concept of “green growth” is tied to the “green economy for sustainable
development and poverty reduction,” the fi rst theme of the Rio + 20 United
Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD). Furthermore,
formulating strategies for making cities and human settlements inclusive,
safe, resilient, and sustainable has emerged as one of the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals. To effectively achieve green growth, developing a low-
carbon society should occur at multiple levels: international, regional,
national, and subnational. The Asia Pacifi c region, the site of rapidly growing
populations and economies, can show the global impact of sustainable devel-
opment partly because this region includes a key advanced economy, Japan,
and two key emerging economies, China and Indonesia.
The UN concluded that 50 % of the world’s population lives in cities
(2008) and that this percentage will increase to 60 % by 2030. Furthermore,
cities account for 90 % of the population growth, 80 % of the wealth
creation, and 60–80 % of the energy consumption and greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions across the globe. Thus, it would be most effective to
begin building a low-carbon society by developing low-carbon cities.
Introduction
Joni Jupesta , Takako Wakiyama , and Ambiyah Abdullah