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Romania : Urban Sector Rapid AssessmentCities have long held a central place of importance in society as hubs of commerce, culture, and political power. Because of climate change, however, the clustering together of large numbers of people and high levels of economic activity also creates vulnerabilities. In Romania, where the urbanization rate is roughly 55 percent, the Government of Romania has commissioned this advisory services report from the World Bank to explore how to operationalize an urban climate strategy within the structure of the European Union's new 2014-2020 operating program. This report presents the results for the rapid assessment of the current state of (and opportunities for improved) urban climate planning in Romania; what is known about how cities in Romania contribute to climate change; and how cities in Romania will be affected by climate change. To complete this rapid assessment, the World Bank team relied on an extensive literature review and in-person, semi-structured interviews with more than two dozen central and local government officials, private sector experts, academics, and civil society organizations knowledgeable about climate change topics in Romania. The depth of this rapid assessment was necessarily limited by the short time frame available to carry out the research, and by data gaps on local climate planning activities, local greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels, and the climate risks faced by cities around Romania.
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Low-Carbon Development for MexicoOne of the most compelling reasons for pursuing low-carbon development is that the potential impacts of climate change are predicted to be severe, for both industrial and developing countries, and that reducing greenhouse gas emissions can reduce the risk of the most catastrophic impacts. The challenge of reducing emissions is sobering: leading scientific models indicate that limiting the rise in global mean temperatures to less than two degree Celsius will require that global greenhouse gas emissions peak within the next 10-15 years and then fall by 2050 to levels about 50 percent lower than in 1990. Although many countries recognize the need to curtail carbon emissions, there is considerable uncertainty about how much this will cost in individual countries, what measures can be undertaken in both the short and longer term, and how cost-effective specific interventions are in reducing emissions. This study analyzes a range of energy efficiency options available in Mexico, including supply-side efficiency improvements in the electric power and oil and gas industries, and demand-side electricity efficiency measures addressing high-growth energy-consuming activities, such as air conditioning and refrigeration. It also evaluates a range of renewable energy options that make use of the country's vast wind, solar, biomass, hydro, and geothermal resources.
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ThailandThailand needs to avoid the high-carbon
 growth path of many developed countries and, instead, take a
 low-carbon growth path. A green low-carbon growth path is in
 Thailand's own interest as it can simultaneously tackle
 local environmental degradation, global climate change, and
 energy security challenges. It can also position Thailand as
 a regional leader in green, sustainable growth. Green
 low-carbon growth in Thailand could focus on the following
 four pillars: 1) maintaining rapid economic growth while
 adjusting the country's economic structure toward a
 less energy, and carbon-intensive economy; 2) achieving
 greater urbanization while shifting toward green livable
 low-carbon cities; 3) meeting the huge thirst for energy
 while transforming the energy sector toward one of high
 energy efficiency and widespread diffusion of low-carbon
 technologies; and 4) improving quality of life while
 shifting toward a resource-efficient and sustainable lifestyle.