11. Sustainable cities and communities
More than half of the world’s population now live in urban areas. By 2050, that figure will have risen to 6.5 billion people – two-thirds of all humanity. Extreme poverty is often concentrated in urban spaces, and national and city governments struggle to accommodate the rising population in these areas. Making cities safe and sustainable means ensuring access to safe and affordable housing, and upgrading slum settlements. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way we build and manage our urban spaces.
Read our stories to learn more about SDG Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities is supported by ABB
News
Carbon & Climate
Record temperatures scorch parts of India amid heatwave
Authorities issue alerts and prepare for heat-related illnesses as parts of India record temperatures above 46°C.
Nearly half of Indonesia’s peatlands are vulnerable to flooding due to degradation from exploitation, with 6 million hectares (15 million acres) – twice the size of Belgium – highly at risk.
Policy & Finance
China releases its first green sovereign bonds in London
Experts say the bonds will attract international investment in China’s green transition, bringing private funding and boosting international climate cooperation.
Those who stand to lose out from the transition need to be involved in decision making, write two professors.
Policy & Finance
Power plays: China’s changing energy financing in Africa
Policy & Finance
Ways to improve Malaysia’s ecological fiscal transfers
Opinion
There are worries the construction of a hydropower dam across the transboundary Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet will intensify both water scarcity and flooding. These smaller-sized river basins are often neglected in academic research.
Chinese and American firms are seeking to export their autonomous driving technologies to Southeast Asia. The signal lesson is that their data-driven models require sensitivity and adaptation to the region’s diverse markets.
Leading a group of mothers, campaigner Bhavreen Kandhari tells WHO conference that children need a quicker energy transition.
Policy & Finance
Trump’s Ukraine deal exposes a dirty truth about minerals
Resource-rich countries are signing critical mineral deals under duress, sacrificing long-term benefits.
Policy & Finance
Financial inclusion must reach the last billion
Policy & Finance
Shake it up, don’t shoot it down: the case for reforming US aid
Videos
There is consensus that coal needs to be retired early in Asia, but the mechanisms for financing the phase-out are not clear. This mini-documentary examines how transition credits work and whether they can fund Southeast Asia's equitable switch to clean power.
EB Studio
From sponge cities to coastal forests, Asia is seeking ways to work with nature and prepare for the risks in a warmer-than-expected future. This Eco-Business video looks at what else cities need to do to strengthen climate resilience.
Exclusive
Jack Johnson says yes, but it is a long road ahead. In this exclusive interview, we ask the American singer-songwriter and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador about his hopes for the state of the world and how music plays a role in providing a dose of optimism in dark times.
Launched as policymakers lock horns with petrochemicals lobbyists over a treaty to end plastic pollution, the documentary produced by Eco-Business asks why opportunities to solve humanity's waste crisis are being wasted. It will premiere in Singapore and screen on the sidelines of the upcoming COP28 climate summit.
Podcasts
Indonesian environmental campaigners took a novel approach to raising climate awareness by publishing five children's books about the country's environmental issues. This podcast explores their creative process and the public's response.
UN climate report authors need to commit to the integrity of assessment processes while working with governments with differing interests. Dr Theresa Wong tells the Eco-Business podcast why the stakes are high to get climate science right.
EB Studio
Plastic waste is flooding the planet. Instead of waiting for regulation to drive change, give value to recyclables and mobilise the people, says Plastic Bank.
EB Studio
With alternatives such as sustainable aviation fuel still too expensive and low in demand for the aviation industry to consider, carbon offsets could be a way to reduce emissions – if used right. EcoSecurities and the International Air Transport Association tell the Eco-Business podcast how airlines can ensure compliance when new regulations become mandatory
