Take action on climate change at http://countdown.ted.com. In the next 10 years we’ll have to halve emissions and limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C and transport is currently responsible for a quarter of CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels. “The Compact City Scenario—Electrified”, the fourth and latest joint research study in a series by ITDP (Institute for Transportation and Development Policy) and UC Davis, reveals that only the combination of both electric vehicles with the development of compact, transit-oriented cities could get us to our climate goals on the urgent timeline needed, allowing us to reduce emissions by 80% in just 30 years. To know more, visit http://www.itdp.org.

This video is one of the Countdown TED talks about public transport which are part of the C40 Cities' and ITF's campaign #TheFutureIsPublicTransport. More info on http://www.thefutureispublictransport.org. Heather Thompson has been with ITDP - Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - for more than a dozen years, first serving on its Board of Directors and now as CEO. She has two decades of experience in the environmental non-profit sector, designing and carrying out strategies with large-scale impact.

She co-founded and served as VP of Programs at ClimateWorks Foundation, a network of foundations and expert teams which promote sectoral policies to mitigate climate change. Prior to that, Ms. Thompson was a Principal at California Environmental Associates where she led the firm’s work in philanthropic strategy, covering energy and climate change, marine resource management, biodiversity protection, and land conservation. She’s worked with clients such as the Asian Development Bank, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and Environmental Defense Fund. She holds a Master of Science in environmental economics from the University of York, U.K. and has worked abroad in China, the U.K., and Denmark.

Ms. Thompson believes bold progress needs to be made toward more sustainable and resilient transport systems. ITDP’s work in making cities more equitable, livable and environmentally conscious changes everything for the better – for people and the planet. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx