Conclusion

Abstract

This final chapter discusses the policy insights and implications derived from the Energy Atlas and the research projects it has enabled, as well as directions for future research that are supportive of a just energy transition. The Energy Atlas was created in response to the urgent need for cities to curb their consumption of energy and GHG emissions to achieve greater sustainability, and, increasingly, to become more resilient in the face of climate change impacts. Information about building energy use, coupled with additional data on material flows, life cycle costs, and social life cycle analysis can yield insights into the tradeoffs between various energy system investments and transformation pathways. It can also help connect issues such as affluence and consumption levels to Earth systems impacts, such as those of rare Earth mineral extraction for smart systems, air pollution and GHG emissions impacts of fossil fuel energy, and more. The Energy Atlas, we hope, provides an additional set of empirical data to help understand how cities work and their impacts on both people and planetary resources.