TakingITGlobal

1. 4 BACKGROUND: CLIMATE CHANGE AND CITIES sources available on the internet. Information gathered was organized according to a vulnerability assessment framework, building on the definition of vulnerability established by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change. Vulnerability is understood as the interactive combination of exposure to the impacts of climate change; sensitivity to those impacts, which includes the technological, cultural, political and economic features of the city that may exacerbate the consequences of climate change impacts; and adaptive capacity, which encompasses all of the assets and qualities of the city that may aid in its ability to adjust in order to reduce vulnerability. The climate change impacts to which urban residents are exposed are highly region-specific, though two risks are dominant, presenting particular concerns for many cities worldwide. The first is extreme heat, which can be Cities are key sources of greenhouse gas emissions and therefore support for mitigation among urban populations and municipal governments is essential to international efforts to limit global warming. As epicenters of social capital, cities are important sources of innovation and hold potential for various forms of mitigation. Cities also face unique vulnerabilities to climate change, necessitating constructive and inclusive civic climate politics in support of urban residents. This section gives a snapshot of the unique vulnerability, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of the cities and countries where participating youth live. The diverse local contexts of our youth participants have most certainly shaped their personal perceptions of climate change. To contextualize the participants' experiences, we developed case studies using primarily governmental and intergovernmental organization | 13 Y O U T H A N D C L I M A T E C H A N G E 2 0 1 8 E D I T I O N

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