A recent United Nations report revealed that, in 2014, 54% of the world’s population were living in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 66% by 2050. Furthermore, there were 28 mega-cities with 10 million inhabitants or more worldwide in 2014. By 2030, the world is projected to have 41 mega-cities.
Smart cities require a systems approach, data mining and electronics. But more than anything, they need a constant and reliable access to electrical energy. Already today, electricity enables most of the basic city services, including lighting, water, waste management, transportation, security, communication, financial transactions and administration to name but a few.
IEC has a specific role to play in the elaboration of Smart City Standards. Delivering the full value of Standards to accelerate the development of Smart Cities and lower its costs also clearly needs a strong collaboration of all city stakeholders.
