City reports
Percentage of world population in cities
Cities are growing
In 2011, more people worldwide lived in cities than in rural areas – and the number of city dwellers is continuing to grow. Experts predict that urban areas will be home to about 60% of the world’s population by 2030 – and this figure is expected to reach 70% by 2050.
Over the next 20 years, the global population will increase by an estimated 1.4 billion.
Cities are influencing climate change
The challenge of climate change will be mastered in cities. Urban areas account for up to 70% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, two-thirds of its energy consumption and about 60% of its freshwater consumption. This situation has arisen mainly because of inadequate infrastructures for mobility, power and water as well as to energy-inefficient buildings – and it's clearly cause for concern.
But it also contains the seeds of a solution: cities committed to sustainable urban development can make a powerful contribution to climate and environmental protection.
Cities are the engines of growth
Cities are major contributors to global economic growth. The ten economically strongest cities already generate one-fifth of the world’s total GDP – and this share is increasing.
The result? A growing need to invest in advanced infrastructure solutions worldwide.
Our contribution to sustainable urban development
Siemens is already making important contributions to sustainable urban development. Our reports on selected cities – such as the Green City Indexes – provide mayors, urban planners and city administrators worldwide with comparative data that they can use to evaluate their cities’ performance and plan development measures. In more than 60 metropolises around the globe, our City Account Managers are advising urban decision-makers in the crucial planning phase of infrastructure projects. And last but not least, our innovative products and solutions are making cities more environmentally friendly, improving the quality of urban life and cutting costs.