Some 13,000 companies in 21 U.S. cities, including Denver, Las Vegas and New York, are measuring their carbon footprints using a system developed in the United Kingdom, media reports said Monday.
"If you don't measure these emissions, you cannot manage them," said Paul Dickinson, the chief executive of the UK-based Carbon Disclosure Project, which joined forces with the cities.
Urban traffic, buildings and manufacturers emit 70 percent of the world's greenhouse gases.
The CDP represents 385 global institutional investors that manage a total of more than 57 trillion U.S. dollars in assets. It has gathered corporate emissions data through surveys since 2000 and claims to have the largest corporate greenhouse gas emissions database in the world.
Each of the 21 cities will gather emissions data for their municipal functions, such as their fire and police departments, government buildings and waste services, which will help cities compare how they are doing. They will also assess emissions from the city as a whole.
"The process should really lead to the beginnings of a fundamental restructuring of how cities consume energy," Dickinson said.
The 21 cities will submit their responses to CDP by Oct. 31. and the results will be published in the group's first cities report in January.
Source:Xinhua/Agencies
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