ABSTRACT
Urban areas–notably agglomerations–are increasingly becoming focal points of policy and competition, not only inside the European Community but also outside. This has many important consequences for energy and environmental policy: urban areas form a ‘natural’ concentration point for efficient and effective energy and environmental policy initiatives. Urban waste management has proven to be an effective strategy for serving both environmental and energy purposes. Cities should be encouraged to intensify their efforts in this area, especially because urban waste treatment appears to be an economically viable policy which, at the same time, is able to eliminate high social and environmental costs. Transport is an important energy consumer, claiming approximately 25 to 30 per cent of primary energy consumption by end use (mainly petroleum). Consequently the environmental impacts of transport are significant, and as the majority of people now live in urban areas, it is clear that transport and the quality of urban life are closely linked.
