For the past decade, the concept of “sustainability” has dominated discussion within environmental, economic, and political spheres around the world. Sustainability is defined in many ways, yet all incorporate the notion of considering the effects of one’s actions and behaviors on future generations. A crucial component of sustainability in regards to climate change is the idea of mitigation: mitigating, or lessening, the severity of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and human impact on climate. We need to shift our attention toward adapting to the consequences of climate change in addition to mitigating the causes.

Climate change has been a topic of intense debate over the past few decades.  This dispute has been stirred by scientific data and trends that seem to suggest that climate change is causing various natural threats. For example, glacial cycles over the past few centuries show a direct correlation between rising temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentrations.  It is necessary for cities to recognize the amount of CO2 the atmosphere can handle and to adjust its CO2 output accordingly.