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Chapter 4, Key Finding 2

Many societal factors drive urban carbon emissions, but the urban built environment and the regulations and policies shaping urban form (e.g., land use) and technology (e.g., modes of transportation) play crucial roles. Such societal drivers can lock in dependence on fossil fuels in the absence of major technological, institutional, and behavioral change. Some fossil fuel–related infrastructure can have lifetimes of up to 50 years (high confidence).