Senate Passes Bipartisan Housing Bill Addressing Affordability and Supply

Overview of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

The U.S. Senate approved the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act with an 89-10 vote, marking a significant bipartisan effort to increase housing supply and reduce prices. The legislation, authored by Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), aims to tackle the housing affordability crisis, a key concern aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Key Provisions and Objectives

1. Grants and Pilot Programs: The 303-page bill introduces grants and pilot programs to stimulate housing construction, promoting affordable and sustainable housing development.
2. Regulatory Reforms: It seeks to reduce inspection delays at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by creating alternative compliance pathways and coordinating environmental reviews with the Department of Agriculture, especially for rural housing projects.
3. Restricting Large Investors: The “Homes Are For People, Not Corporations” section prohibits large institutional investors from purchasing certain single-family homes, fostering homeownership opportunities for families rather than corporations. This aligns with SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities by promoting equitable access to housing.

Political Context and Bipartisan Support

• Senators Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren emphasized the bill’s role in cutting regulatory barriers, lowering housing costs, and expanding homeownership without increasing federal spending.
• Despite broad support, some opposition exists, including from Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who criticized certain provisions as overly broad.
• Ten senators voted against the bill, primarily from the Republican party, while one senator was absent.

Challenges Ahead

The bill must still pass the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. However, its future is uncertain due to competing legislative priorities, notably President Donald Trump’s focus on the SAVE America Act, a voting legislation bill.

Implications for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities: By increasing affordable housing supply and improving urban and rural housing infrastructure, the bill supports sustainable urban development.
• SDG 1 – No Poverty: Enhancing homeownership opportunities and reducing housing costs contribute to poverty alleviation.
• SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities: Limiting corporate acquisition of single-family homes promotes fair access to housing for all socioeconomic groups.
• SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth: The bill’s construction incentives may stimulate job creation in the housing sector.

Stakeholder Reactions and Industry Concerns

• Supporters highlight the bill as a historic bipartisan achievement addressing a critical social issue.
• Some industry stakeholders express concern over a provision requiring major investors owning 350 or more single-family homes to divest after seven years, fearing it may discourage long-term rental housing investments.
• Analyses suggest the economic impact of this provision will be limited but could modestly lower prices and increase homeownership in some markets.

Next Steps and Outlook

1. The House’s consideration of the bill remains pending, with political dynamics influencing its progression.
2. The White House has indicated forthcoming executive orders aimed at improving housing affordability.
3. Legislators express optimism that the bill will ultimately become law, contributing to the achievement of key SDGs related to housing and social equity.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The article discusses legislation aimed at increasing housing supply, reducing prices, and improving affordability, which directly relates to making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
2. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • By addressing housing affordability and promoting homeownership, the bill contributes to reducing poverty and improving living conditions.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The bill’s provision to prohibit large institutional investors from buying single-family homes aims to reduce inequalities in housing access.
4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Boosting housing construction through grants and pilot programs can stimulate economic growth and job creation in the construction sector.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 11: Target 11.1 – By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
   • The bill’s focus on increasing housing supply and affordability aligns with this target.
2. SDG 1: Target 1.4 – By 2030, ensure that all men and women have equal rights to economic resources, including access to basic services and ownership of property.
   • Promoting homeownership opportunities for American families supports this target.
3. SDG 10: Target 10.2 – Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all.
   • The prohibition on large institutional investors buying single-family homes aims to promote equitable access to housing.
4. SDG 8: Target 8.3 – Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation.
   • Grants and pilot programs for housing construction encourage economic activity and employment.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Housing Supply Metrics
   • Number of new housing units constructed as a result of grants and pilot programs.
   • Reduction in inspection delays for housing projects (efficiency of regulatory processes).
2. Housing Affordability Indicators
   • Changes in average housing prices or price trends over time.
   • Average age of first-time homebuyers (currently cited as 40 years old).
3. Homeownership Rates
   • Increase in homeownership among American families, particularly first-time buyers.
4. Investor Activity in Housing Market
   • Number or proportion of single-family homes purchased by large institutional investors before and after legislation.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nbcnews.com

Luxury Apartment Market in Brisbane and Sustainable Development Goals

Current Market Overview

In Brisbane, nearly all off-the-plan apartments available this month are marketed as “refined,” “elevated,” or “boutique,” emphasizing luxury. Prices range from $700,000 for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment on the northside to $11,050,000 for a four-bedroom, four-bathroom riverfront apartment.

Ray White chief economist Nerida Conisbee highlighted that while demand for affordable apartments exists, rising construction costs have shifted developer focus towards high-end builds.

Impact of Construction and Labour Costs

According to ABS data, construction material prices have increased by 35.5% since the COVID-19 pandemic. This inflation has made affordable apartment construction challenging, while luxury apartments remain economically viable.

“It is really hard for developers now to build affordable apartments, but it is, and conversely, it’s a lot easier for them to build much more expensive apartments,” said Ms. Conisbee.

Developers face difficulties building apartments priced around $750,000 due to increased costs, often needing to price them at $900,000 or higher. Luxury apartment buyers are less price sensitive, allowing developers to align prices with construction costs.

Labour Shortages and the 2032 Olympics

Labour availability is another critical factor affecting construction costs. Analysis by WT Partners projects a shortage of 46,000 construction workers in Queensland by the 2028/29 financial year. The upcoming 2032 Olympics further intensify labour demand, diverting workers from housing projects.

VERSO CEO Steve Laffey noted that government projects are often more attractive to labourers due to simpler client relationships compared to multi-unit residential developments.

Economist Cameron Murray explained that construction worker wages have risen due to high demand for their skills, though this trend may normalize as more workers enter the industry.

The Queensland Productivity Commission has reviewed construction industry productivity to improve workforce outcomes and support housing and infrastructure delivery.

Buyer Demographics and Market Demand

Downsizers and Investors Driving Demand

Despite high prices, demand remains strong, primarily from downsizing baby boomers and investors. Boutique developments, such as the 52-unit project in Lutwyche by Jadecorp, attract owner-occupiers seeking long-term homes with high-quality design and finishes.

“We’re seeing a real shift that apartments are no longer a stepping stone for housing,” said Alexi Dracakis, Jadecorp manager.

In Q2 2025, 56% of buyers in inner Brisbane projects under construction or pre-sale were owner-occupiers, according to the Urbis Apartment Essentials National Snapshot report.

Luxury Amenities and Affordability Challenges

• Many new apartments feature luxury amenities such as pools, saunas, and gyms.
• These amenities increase body corporate fees, which are more affordable for retirees and wealthier buyers but may be prohibitive for buyers of affordable apartments.

Cameron Murray noted that Australia’s wealthy population influences the market, with developers responding to demand for luxury apartments.

Strategies for Enhancing Housing Affordability

Government Initiatives and Market Corrections

To improve housing affordability, government involvement in housing construction is essential. The state LNP has pledged to build one million new homes, including 53,000 social and affordable homes, by 2044.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie highlighted the Residential Activation Fund’s success in unlocking land for 98,000 homes, aiming to increase housing supply and reduce property prices.

Economist Cameron Murray anticipates a market correction that will make housing more affordable in the near future.

Challenges and Developer Perspectives

Alexi Dracakis emphasized the need to expand the construction workforce, improve productivity, and streamline planning approvals to meet housing supply demands.

Steve Laffey acknowledged the private sector’s role in housing affordability but stressed the importance of profitability and shared responsibility across stakeholders.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Encouraging urban densification through boutique and luxury apartments promotes efficient land use and sustainable urban growth.
   • Government programs like the Residential Activation Fund support the development of diverse housing types, enhancing community inclusivity.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Addressing labour shortages and improving construction industry productivity aligns with promoting sustained, inclusive economic growth and decent work.
   • Investment in workforce training can stabilize construction wages and support industry sustainability.
3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • Innovations in construction and streamlined planning processes contribute to resilient infrastructure and sustainable industrialization.
4. SDG 1: No Poverty and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Government-led affordable housing initiatives aim to reduce inequalities by providing accessible housing options for lower-income groups.
   • Balancing luxury developments with affordable housing is crucial to ensuring equitable urban development.

Conclusion

The Brisbane apartment market is currently dominated by luxury developments driven by rising construction and labour costs, alongside strong demand from downsizers and investors. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals related to sustainable cities, decent work, and reduced inequalities, coordinated efforts between government and private sectors are essential. Expanding the construction workforce, enhancing productivity, and increasing affordable housing supply will be critical to fostering inclusive and sustainable urban development in Brisbane.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The article discusses urban apartment development, housing affordability, and urban densification in Brisbane.
   • Issues related to housing supply, construction costs, and planning approvals relate to making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The shortage of construction labor and workforce productivity issues are highlighted.
   • Focus on improving productivity and workforce outcomes in the construction industry.
3. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • Concerns about affordable housing and the difficulty of building affordable apartments impact poverty reduction efforts.
4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
   • Discussions on construction costs, productivity improvements, and infrastructure development.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Target 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
   • Target 11.3: Enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
   • Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation.
3. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • Target 1.4: Ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, including access to basic services and ownership and control over land and property.
4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being.
   • Target 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Housing Affordability and Supply Indicators
   • Number of affordable and social housing units built (e.g., the pledge to build 53,000 social and affordable homes by 2044).
   • Housing prices and price ranges for apartments (e.g., prices ranging from $700,000 to over $11 million).
   • Number of new homes unlocked through government initiatives (e.g., 98,000 homes unlocked by the Residential Activation Fund).
2. Construction Industry Productivity and Workforce Indicators
   • Increase in construction material prices (35.5% increase since COVID pandemic).
   • Shortage of construction labor force (projected shortfall of 46,000 workers by 2028/29 in Queensland).
   • Wages of construction workers relative to other sectors.
   • Productivity improvements as reviewed by Queensland Productivity Commission.
3. Urban Development and Planning Indicators
   • Number of high-density apartment developments and urban densification projects.
   • Proportion of owner-occupiers among apartment buyers (56% in inner Brisbane in Q2 2025).

4. Table: SDGs, Targets and Indicators

Source: abc.net.au

California’s Affordable Housing Crisis and Sustainable Development Goals

Overview of Housing Shortage

California faces a significant shortage of affordable housing, contributing to widespread housing instability and homelessness. According to a recent report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), nearly 1 million additional affordable homes are required to meet the needs of extremely low-income households, defined as those earning 30% or less of the area’s median income.

Current Housing Availability

1. California has only 25 affordable rental homes available for every 100 extremely low-income households.
2. The state ranks among the lowest nationwide in affordable housing availability, with only Oregon and Nevada having fewer homes per household.
3. Most extremely low-income households in California spend more than half their income on rent, increasing their risk of homelessness.

Impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 1: No Poverty – The lack of affordable housing exacerbates poverty by forcing low-income families to allocate disproportionate income to housing costs.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Addressing the housing shortage is critical to creating inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable urban environments.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – Housing instability negatively affects physical and mental health, underscoring the need for affordable homes to promote well-being.

Challenges and Legislative Efforts

Despite ongoing legislative efforts to increase housing construction, progress remains limited for the lowest-earning renters. Funding constraints contribute to the delay in building nearly 40,000 affordable units statewide, which are currently stalled due to lack of financial resources.

Expert Commentary

• Renee Willis, NLIHC President and CEO: “When renters are housing cost-burdened, they cannot afford to cover other basic necessities such as food, healthcare, transportation, or childcare.”

Healthcare Access Expansion Proposal

Senate Bill 1422: Medi-Cal for All Income-Qualifying Californians

A new bill proposes to extend Medi-Cal access to all income-qualifying Californians regardless of citizenship status. This initiative aims to reverse previous budget cuts and ensure immigrant adults aged 19 and older can enroll in the state’s Medicaid program.

SDG Alignment

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – Expanding healthcare access promotes equitable health outcomes and supports community health.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The bill addresses disparities in healthcare access among immigrant populations.

Legislative and Political Context

• Governor Gavin Newsom had expanded Medi-Cal access to undocumented immigrants but partially reversed these expansions due to rising costs.
• Senator María Elena Durazo emphasizes the economic contributions of undocumented immigrants and the importance of inclusive healthcare.
• The bill’s passage remains uncertain amid ongoing state budget deficits.

Insurance Rate Settlement Benefiting California Policyholders

State Farm Settlement Details

A proposed settlement with State Farm aims to provide refunds and protect policyholders from further insurance premium increases following wildfire-related claims in Los Angeles County. The settlement is expected to save California consumers approximately $530 million.

SDG Relevance

• SDG 1: No Poverty – Reducing insurance costs helps alleviate financial burdens on households affected by natural disasters.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – Addressing wildfire-related impacts supports community resilience to climate change.

Additional Settlement Provisions

• State Farm agreed not to cancel any new policies during the current year.
• The settlement followed scrutiny from consumer advocacy groups and public hearings.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 1: No Poverty – The article highlights the issue of housing instability and homelessness among extremely low-income households in California.
2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The discussion on expanding Medi-Cal access to all income-qualifying Californians regardless of citizenship status relates to ensuring healthy lives and access to healthcare.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The article addresses inequalities faced by low-income renters and undocumented immigrants in accessing affordable housing and healthcare.
4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The shortage of affordable housing and efforts to build more homes relate to making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 1 – Target 1.1: Eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured by income levels. The article’s focus on extremely low-income households and their housing needs aligns with this target.
2. SDG 3 – Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection and access to quality essential healthcare services. The proposed Medi-Cal expansion bill aims to fulfill this target.
3. SDG 10 – Target 10.2: Empower and promote social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, or immigration status. The article’s discussion on immigrant access to healthcare and housing affordability reflects this target.
4. SDG 11 – Target 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services. The article’s emphasis on the shortage of affordable rental homes and legislative efforts to build more aligns directly with this target.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

• Indicator for SDG 1.1: Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, or in this context, the number of available affordable homes per 100 extremely low-income households (25 homes per 100 households in California).
• Indicator for SDG 3.8: Coverage of essential health services and proportion of population with access to health insurance, implied by the number of income-qualifying Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal regardless of citizenship status.
• Indicator for SDG 10.2: Proportion of people living below 50% of median income who have access to affordable housing and healthcare services, implied by the discussion on immigrant access and housing cost burden.
• Indicator for SDG 11.1: Proportion of urban population living in slums or inadequate housing, or alternatively, the ratio of affordable rental homes available to extremely low-income households, as reported by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: calmatters.org

Report on the Impact of Fine Particle Pollution on Cognitive Health and Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

Recent scientific research highlights the detrimental effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution on brain health and cognitive potential globally. Modeling studies indicate significant cumulative losses in intelligence quotient (IQ), with disproportionate impacts in lower-income regions. This report emphasizes the implications of these findings in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health, education, inequality, and sustainable cities.

Background

Exposure to air pollution, specifically PM2.5, poses a threat not only to respiratory and cardiovascular health but also to neurological functions. PM2.5 particles can penetrate deeply into the body and reach the brain, potentially impairing cognitive processes such as learning, memory, and problem-solving. Given daily exposure to polluted air worldwide, even minor cognitive impairments may translate into substantial population-level consequences, affecting socioeconomic development and human capital.

Air Pollution as a Threat to Cognitive Health

• Global Health Risk: The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies air pollution as the leading environmental risk factor for human health, contributing to millions of premature deaths annually.
• Sources of PM2.5: Vehicle emissions, industrial activities, power generation, and natural sources like dust contribute to PM2.5 pollution.
• Neurological Impact: PM2.5 may cross biological barriers, causing brain inflammation and damage, which can lead to cognitive decline and neurological disorders such as dementia.
• Economic Burden: Dementia and related neurological conditions impose costs exceeding one trillion US dollars annually, underscoring the importance of protecting cognitive health for economic sustainability (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being).

Evidence Linking Air Pollution to Intelligence and Learning

Extensive research demonstrates a correlation between long-term PM2.5 exposure and reduced IQ scores, which serve as proxies for cognitive ability encompassing working memory, processing speed, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.

1. Standardized cognitive assessments such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test measure these domains.
2. A meta-analysis revealed that each 1 µg/m³ increase in PM2.5 correlates with a small but consistent IQ reduction in children.
3. Global modeling estimates indicate approximately 16 billion IQ points lost among children worldwide due to PM2.5 exposure, with total population losses potentially reaching 65 billion IQ points.
4. These cognitive deficits can hinder educational outcomes and workforce productivity, impacting SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Global Inequality in Cognitive Impacts

Air pollution exposure and its cognitive consequences are unevenly distributed, exacerbating global inequalities:

• Approximately 90% of the global population breathes air exceeding WHO pollution guidelines.
• Country-level analyses show IQ losses ranging from 0.41 to 19.08 points, with lower-income countries experiencing significantly higher impacts.
• Statistical correlations confirm that lower-income and lower-middle-income countries bear the greatest cognitive burden, highlighting environmental injustice and inequality (SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities).

Biological Mechanisms Behind Cognitive Damage

Several biological pathways explain how PM2.5 affects brain health:

• Inflammation and Oxidative Stress: PM2.5 triggers immune responses damaging brain cells and disrupting neurological development.
• Particle Accumulation: Fine particles may cross protective barriers and accumulate in brain tissues, altering structure and function.
• Toxic Metals: Exposure to metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury is linked to lower IQ, behavioral changes, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.

These mechanisms underscore the importance of environmental health in lifelong cognitive development and well-being (SDG 3).

Policy Responses and Research Priorities

Effective mitigation of cognitive risks from air pollution requires integrated policy and research efforts aligned with sustainable development:

1. Emission Regulations: Strengthening controls on vehicle, industrial, and power plant emissions to reduce PM2.5 levels.
2. Urban Planning: Designing cities to minimize pollution exposure near schools and residential areas, supporting SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
3. Air Quality Standards: Revising guidelines to protect neurological health by considering particle toxicity and chemical composition, beyond particle size alone.
4. Cross-sector Coordination: Encouraging collaboration among environmental, health, and urban policy sectors to address pollution comprehensively.
5. Public Awareness: Enhancing education on pollution’s cognitive impacts to foster community engagement and support for clean air initiatives.

Conclusion

Fine particulate air pollution represents a significant threat to global cognitive health, with far-reaching implications for education, economic productivity, and social equity. The disproportionate burden on lower-income countries highlights the need for targeted interventions to reduce environmental health disparities and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Implementing stricter environmental regulations and raising public awareness are critical steps toward safeguarding intellectual potential, reducing health inequalities, and promoting sustainable development worldwide.

References

• Faherty, T., Ellis-Bradford, L.-J. A., Onyeaka, H., Harrison, R. M., & Pope, F. D. (2026). Reframing air pollution as a cognitive and socioeconomic risk. npj Clean Air. DOI: 10.1038/s44407-026-00059-4

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article discusses the impact of air pollution on brain health, cognitive function, and neurological disorders, directly relating to health and well-being.
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article highlights disproportionate impacts of air pollution on cognitive health in poorer regions and lower-income countries, emphasizing social and economic inequalities.
3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Urban planning and regulation of emissions from vehicles, industries, and power plants are discussed as policy responses to reduce air pollution exposure.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Although not explicitly mentioned, reducing emissions from power generation and industrial processes aligns with climate action efforts.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of income level.
3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including air quality.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Air Quality Indicators
   • Concentration levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³), as referenced by WHO guidelines.
2. Cognitive Health Indicators
   • Intelligence Quotient (IQ) scores, measured through standardized tests such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test, and Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test.
   • Population-level IQ point losses estimated through modeling of PM2.5 exposure.
3. Health Outcome Indicators
   • Incidence and prevalence of neurological disorders such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
   • Premature deaths attributable to air pollution.
4. Socioeconomic Indicators
   • Economic costs associated with dementia and cognitive impairment (e.g., healthcare costs, productivity losses).
   • Disparities in cognitive impact by national income classification.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets and Indicators

Source: news-medical.net

Report on Urban-Rural Disparities in Air Pollution and Public Health in China

Introduction

Air pollution is commonly perceived as an urban issue; however, rural areas also experience significant air pollution and related health impacts. This report examines the disparities between urban and rural areas in China regarding air pollution and public health, with a focus on the role of high-speed rail (HSR) infrastructure. The findings highlight critical implications for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health, sustainable cities, and reducing inequalities.

Key Findings

1. Air Pollution Levels in Urban and Rural Areas

Using firm-level waste gas emission data, grid-level PM2.5 concentration data, and health data, the study reveals that:

• Air pollution in rural areas is not better than in urban areas.
• Both urban and rural regions suffer from high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which poses serious health risks.

This finding underscores the need to address air quality comprehensively across all geographic areas, aligning with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

2. Impact of High-Speed Rail (HSR) on Air Pollution and Public Health

The introduction of high-speed rail has differential effects on urban and rural areas:

1. Urban areas have experienced greater reductions in waste gas emission intensity and PM2.5 concentrations.
2. Cardiovascular disease-related mortality has decreased more significantly in urban areas compared to rural areas.
3. HSR infrastructure contributes to widening the urban–rural gap in air pollution and public health outcomes.

This disparity highlights challenges in achieving SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, emphasizing the importance of equitable infrastructure development.

3. Resource Redistribution and Urban-Rural Inequality

The unequal impacts of HSR are linked to spatial redistribution of resources favoring urban centers:

• Urban firms gain more resources and improve efficiency post-HSR opening.
• Rural areas receive comparatively fewer benefits, exacerbating disparities.

This phenomenon calls for policy interventions to ensure balanced regional development, supporting SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

4. Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Disparities

• Unequal impacts of HSR on air pollution and health widen over time, despite some fluctuations.
• These disparities persist across various geographical distances.

Understanding these dynamics is essential for long-term sustainable planning and achieving SDG 13: Climate Action.

Implications for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – Addressing air pollution in both urban and rural areas is critical to reducing disease burden, particularly cardiovascular diseases linked to PM2.5 exposure.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – While HSR promotes economic growth and innovation, its benefits must be equitably distributed to avoid exacerbating disparities.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The widening urban-rural gap in pollution and health outcomes calls for targeted policies to promote environmental justice and social equity.
4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Sustainable urban planning should integrate rural considerations to ensure comprehensive air quality improvements.
5. SDG 13: Climate Action – Mitigating air pollution contributes to climate goals, requiring coordinated efforts across regions.

Recommendations

• Increase monitoring and mitigation efforts for air pollution in rural areas to ensure health equity.
• Design transportation and infrastructure policies that promote balanced resource allocation between urban and rural regions.
• Integrate environmental health considerations into regional development plans to support sustainable growth.
• Enhance public awareness and community engagement in rural areas regarding air pollution and health risks.
• Support research and data sharing to inform evidence-based policy interventions targeting urban-rural disparities.

Data and Methodology

The study utilized comprehensive datasets including:

• Firm-level waste gas emissions from China’s Ministry of Finance and State Taxation Administration.
• Grid-level PM2.5 concentration data from the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) at Columbia University.
• Health data from the China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• High-speed rail data from official Chinese transportation sources.

Statistical analysis was conducted using Stata MP 17.0 on a confidential national computational platform, ensuring data integrity and compliance with non-disclosure agreements.

Conclusion

This report highlights the critical issue of air pollution and public health disparities between urban and rural areas in China, exacerbated by high-speed rail development. Addressing these challenges is vital for achieving multiple SDGs, particularly those focused on health, infrastructure, inequality, and sustainable communities. Policymakers and stakeholders must prioritize inclusive and equitable approaches to environmental and public health governance to ensure no community is left behind.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article discusses the health implications of air pollution, particularly cardiovascular-disease-induced deaths, highlighting public health concerns in both urban and rural areas.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
   • The role of high-speed rail (HSR) infrastructure in affecting air pollution levels and resource distribution between urban and rural areas is a central theme.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article reveals widening urban–rural disparities in air pollution and public health outcomes due to the unequal impacts of HSR development.
4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Air pollution in urban and rural areas and its management through infrastructure development relates to creating sustainable living environments.
5. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Waste gas emissions and PM2.5 concentrations are environmental issues linked to climate and air quality management.

2. Specific Targets Under Identified SDGs

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
5. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Air Pollution Indicators
   • PM2.5 concentration levels (fine particulate matter) measured at grid-level.
   • Waste gas emission intensity from firm-level data.
2. Health Indicators
   • Cardiovascular-disease-induced death rates derived from grid-level health data.
3. Infrastructure and Socioeconomic Indicators
   • High-speed rail (HSR) opening and its spatial distribution.
   • Resource redistribution metrics favoring urban areas.
   • Urban-rural disparities in pollution and health outcomes over time and geographical distances.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nature.com

Report on California’s Affordable Housing Crisis and Sustainable Development Goals

Overview

A recent report by Enterprise Community Partners highlights a critical issue in California’s affordable housing sector: nearly 39,880 affordable housing units are stalled in financial limbo. These “shovel-ready” projects, including the Morris Village development in Modesto, have secured zoning approval, community support, and partial funding but lack the final financial resources to commence construction.

Context and Significance

The stalled projects directly impact Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, which emphasizes the need for affordable, safe, and resilient housing. California’s political leaders aim to increase affordable housing stock, especially for vulnerable populations, aligning with SDG 1: No Poverty and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

Challenges in Funding

1. Financial Gap: The report estimates a $4.1 billion funding shortfall to clear the backlog of affordable housing projects, requiring state grants, low-cost loans, and tax incentives.
2. Complex Funding Streams: Projects often rely on multiple funding sources with varying timelines and requirements, causing delays and increased costs.
3. Policy Bottlenecks: Despite state mandates to build 2.5 million additional housing units by 2030, including 1 million affordable units for low-income residents, the lack of sufficient state subsidies creates a bottleneck.

Case Study: Morris Village Project

• Location: East Morris Avenue, Modesto
• Units: 44 affordable units, half reserved for homeless individuals
• Features: On-site mental health services, job training, and community activities
• Status: Approved and partially funded but awaiting final financial support

This project exemplifies efforts to meet SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being by integrating health services and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth through job training programs.

Historical and Regulatory Context

• Previously, local approvals were the main obstacle; recent state laws have eased these barriers, supporting SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions by promoting inclusive governance.
• Federal tax credit programs have expanded, yet state-level funding remains insufficient to fully leverage these resources.
• Developers face a “moving bottleneck” where projects clear regulatory and federal funding hurdles but stall awaiting state subsidies.

Financial and Policy Developments

1. California’s last major affordable housing bond in 2018 is depleted; current funds total approximately $1.8 billion, with no new discretionary spending proposed in the governor’s budget.
2. Legislators are considering a $10 billion affordable housing bond for 2026, which could significantly accelerate progress.
3. The establishment of the California Housing and Homelessness Agency aims to streamline funding processes, reducing delays and costs.

Cost Challenges and Efficiency Measures

• Construction costs in California are two to four times higher than in comparable states due to land prices, labor costs, regulatory barriers, and traditional building methods.
• Delays in funding increase costs by approximately $20,460 per unit, undermining SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
• Efforts to cut costs include regulatory reforms, faster permitting, and innovative construction techniques.

Conclusion and SDG Implications

The stalled affordable housing projects in California represent a significant challenge to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). Addressing the financial bottleneck through increased funding, streamlined processes, and cost reduction strategies is essential to advancing equitable and sustainable housing solutions for California’s most vulnerable populations.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 1: No Poverty – The article focuses on affordable housing for low-income populations, addressing poverty alleviation.
2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – Mention of on-site mental health services and supportive services like job training and Zumba classes.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The article highlights efforts to provide housing for people with the least ability to pay, reducing social inequalities.
4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Emphasis on increasing affordable housing units, improving urban living conditions, and access to public transport.
5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Collaboration between government, nonprofits, and private sectors to fund and develop affordable housing.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 1 – Target 1.4: Ensure equal rights to economic resources, including access to basic services and affordable housing.
2. SDG 3 – Target 3.4: Promote mental health and well-being, as evidenced by on-site mental health services in housing projects.
3. SDG 10 – Target 10.2: Empower and promote social, economic, and political inclusion of all, particularly vulnerable populations.
4. SDG 11 – Target 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services.
5. SDG 17 – Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

• Number of affordable housing units constructed or in pipeline: The article cites 39,880 affordable units stuck in financial purgatory and a state goal of 2.5 million additional units.
• Proportion of affordable housing units reserved for people making less than 80% of median income: The article mentions one million units targeted for this group.
• Amount of funding allocated and spent on affordable housing projects: References to $4.1 billion needed to clear backlog and $1.8 billion available in current funding.
• Time delays in project funding and construction starts: Average delay of four months per additional funding source, adding costs per unit.
• Number of projects receiving multi-source funding and meeting state criteria: Two-thirds of projects have received at least one state program support and meet amenity and service standards.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: calmatters.org

Global Brewers Grains Market Report: Emphasizing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Abstract

The global Brewers Grains market, a vital intersection of the beverage and agricultural sectors, is projected to experience steady growth from 2026 to 2035. This market includes wet and dried spent grains, yeast, and related by-products from brewing and distilling processes. It is intrinsically linked to global beer production volumes. The valorization of brewers grains transforms a previously discarded by-product into a nutritious and cost-effective animal feed ingredient, aligning with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).

Growth in this market is driven by the global emphasis on circular economy practices within the food and beverage industry, supporting SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Brewers grains provide sustainable protein sources for livestock and aquaculture diets, offering a lower environmental footprint compared to conventional feed commodities, thus contributing to SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

Despite susceptibility to fluctuations in brewing industry cycles and agricultural commodity prices, the market is expected to evolve with increased regional diversification and value-added processing such as pelleting and drying, enhancing logistical efficiency and shelf stability.

Demand Drivers and Constraints

Primary Demand Drivers

• Rising global beer production volume, the primary source of brewers grains (SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth).
• Intensifying focus on circular economy and waste valorization in the food and beverage sector (SDG 12).
• Strong demand for sustainable and cost-effective protein sources in animal feed, especially for ruminants (SDG 2, SDG 15).
• Growth in dairy and beef production in emerging economies, increasing feed ingredient demand (SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2).
• Technological advancements in drying and pelleting improving product stability and market reach (SDG 9).
• Increasing use as feedstock in biofuel and biogas production, supported by renewable energy policies (SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 13).

Potential Growth Constraints

• High moisture content and perishability of wet brewers grains limiting transport and logistics (SDG 12).
• Price volatility of competing conventional feed ingredients affecting cost competitiveness (SDG 8).
• Fluctuations in global beer production due to economic, health, or regulatory factors impacting raw material supply (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being).
• High transportation costs for bulky, low-density products reducing margins (SDG 9).
• Variability in nutritional composition posing challenges for consistent feed formulation (SDG 2).

Demand Structure by End-Use Industry

Ruminant Feed (Dairy & Beef Cattle) – Estimated 65% Share

Ruminant feed dominates brewers grains consumption due to its high fiber digestibility and protein content, supporting SDG 2 by enhancing livestock productivity and food security. Demand is driven by the need to optimize feed efficiency and milk yield, with a shift towards formulated total mixed rations (TMRs) and dried/pelleted products for improved nutritional management.

• Major trends include precision-formulated dairy rations, increased use of dried/pelleted forms, and strengthened partnerships between breweries and dairy cooperatives.
• Representative companies: ForFarmers N.V, De Heus Animal Nutrition, Cargill Animal Nutrition, ADM Animal Nutrition, Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Swine Feed – Estimated 15% Share

Swine feed applications are limited due to high fiber content but are growing moderately with technological improvements enhancing digestibility. This supports SDG 12 by promoting sustainable feed ingredient use and SDG 2 by contributing to pork production efficiency.

• Trends include enzyme treatment, fermented products, and integration into least-cost feed formulations.
• Representative companies: Smithfield Foods, JBS USA, Tyson Foods, BRF S.A, Charoen Pokphand Foods.

Biofuel & Biogas Production – Estimated 10% Share

Brewers grains are increasingly used as feedstock for anaerobic digestion and bioethanol production, advancing SDG 7 and SDG 13 by supporting renewable energy generation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Growth driven by renewable energy policies and development of brewery-centric circular models.
• Representative participants: Local biogas plant operators, Veolia, SUEZ, energy utilities, agri-energy cooperatives.

Poultry Feed – Estimated 5% Share

Poultry feed use is niche due to low fiber tolerance but remains stable, contributing marginally to sustainable feed diversification (SDG 2).

• Dependence on finely processed, dried products and cost advantages.
• Representative participants: Tyson Foods, JBS, BRF S.A, Venkys, Hubbard Feeds.

Compost, Soil Amendment & Other Uses – Estimated 5% Share

Brewers grains contribute to sustainable agriculture by serving as soil amendments and compost feedstock, supporting SDG 15 and SDG 12 through improved soil health and organic farming practices.

• Applications include organic farming, commercial composting, mushroom cultivation, and specialty food ingredients.
• Representative participants: Municipal composting facilities, specialty mushroom farms, organic fertilizer producers.

Key Market Participants

Regional Dynamics

Asia-Pacific – Estimated 28% Market Share

Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing consumption region due to expanding livestock sectors, notably dairy and pork in China, India, and Southeast Asia. Sustainability initiatives promoting by-product utilization align with SDG 12 and SDG 2. Import opportunities for dried brewers grains exist due to feed deficits.

North America – Estimated 35% Market Share

North America remains the largest and most mature market, characterized by advanced processing technologies and circular economy models, supporting SDG 9 and SDG 12. Growth is steady and innovation-driven.

Europe – Estimated 25% Market Share

Europe maintains stable demand supported by stringent waste disposal regulations and circular economy policies under the EU Green Deal, advancing SDG 12 and SDG 13. Biogas use is significant in countries such as Germany.

Latin America – Estimated 7% Market Share

Market growth is linked to beef and dairy industry expansion in Brazil and Argentina. The region relies more on wet grains with limited drying infrastructure, presenting challenges for long-distance trade (SDG 9).

Middle East & Africa – Estimated 5% Market Share

This emerging market is import-dependent with growth tied to investments in dairy and aquaculture. Logistics and competition from other feedstuffs constrain expansion, highlighting opportunities for sustainable feed solutions (SDG 2, SDG 12).

Market Outlook (2026-2035)

The global brewers grains market is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.2% from 2026 to 2035, reflecting steady expansion aligned with global beer production growth. The market’s evolution towards higher-value processed products and integration into circular bioeconomy models supports multiple SDGs, including SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 12, and SDG 13.

For comprehensive data and methodological details, refer to the latest IndexBox Brewers Grains Market Report.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • Use of brewers grains as a nutritious, cost-effective animal feed ingredient supports sustainable agriculture and food security.
   • Growth in dairy, beef, pork, and poultry production linked to feed demand.
2. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • Use of brewers grains in biofuel and biogas production contributes to renewable energy generation and decarbonization policies.
3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • Valorization of brewers grains as a by-product promotes circular economy practices and waste reduction in food and beverage industries.
   • Integration into circular bioeconomy models and resource efficiency.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Reduction of environmental footprint through sustainable protein sources and renewable energy use.
   • Support for decarbonization policies via biogas and biofuel applications.
5. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • Use of brewers grains as compost and soil amendment supports sustainable agriculture and soil health.
   • Promotion of organic farming and reduction of synthetic fertilizer use.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers through sustainable food production systems.
   • Target 2.4: Ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices.
2. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • Target 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
   • Target 7.a: Enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology.
3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • Target 12.2: Achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
   • Target 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
   • Target 12.8: Ensure that people have relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
5. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • Target 15.3: Combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. SDG 2 Indicators
   • Size of ruminant herds, especially dairy cattle near brewing centers (indicator of feed demand and livestock productivity).
   • Global beer production volumes as a proxy for raw material availability.
   • Livestock production volumes (dairy, beef, pork, poultry) indicating feed ingredient demand.
2. SDG 7 Indicators
   • Tariff or incentive prices for renewable gas/electricity (indicator of economic viability of brewers grains in bioenergy).
   • Expansion of biogas infrastructure and renewable energy capacity.
3. SDG 12 Indicators
   • Volume and share of brewers grains valorized into animal feed, biofuel, biogas, compost, and other uses.
   • Growth in processed forms (pellets, dried grains) indicating improved resource efficiency and logistics.
   • Regulatory compliance and waste reduction metrics under circular economy policies (e.g., EU Green Deal).
4. SDG 13 Indicators
   • Reduction in environmental footprint of feed ingredients compared to virgin commodities.
   • Adoption rates of renewable energy policies and decarbonization measures in brewing and agriculture sectors.
5. SDG 15 Indicators
   • Premiums for organic produce reflecting demand for sustainable soil amendments.
   • Use volumes of brewers grains in compost and soil amendment applications.
   • Regulatory landscape metrics on synthetic fertilizer reduction.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets and Indicators

Source: indexbox.io

Global rLDPE / rLLDPE (PCR) Market Analysis and Sustainable Development Goals Integration

Abstract

The global market for recycled low-density polyethylene (rLDPE) and recycled linear low-density polyethylene (rLLDPE) derived from post-consumer resin (PCR) is poised for significant growth from 2026 to 2035. This growth is driven by stringent regulatory frameworks and corporate sustainability mandates that align closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Key regions such as the European Union, Canada, and various U.S. states have enacted binding legislation requiring mandatory recycled content in packaging, fostering a stable demand floor for PCR resins. Multinational corporations are committing to ambitious sustainability targets, further accelerating demand for recycled materials. The market faces supply-side challenges including collection inefficiencies and sorting complexities, which are being addressed through investments in advanced mechanical recycling, AI-powered sorting technologies, and chemical recycling innovations.

This report outlines a 2026 baseline and projects market dynamics through 2035, emphasizing the interplay of policy, technology, investment, and competition within the circular economy framework, thereby supporting SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Demand Drivers and Constraints with SDG Focus

Primary Demand Drivers

• Implementation of stringent government regulations mandating recycled content in packaging (SDG 12, SDG 13)
• Corporate sustainability commitments and procurement targets promoting circular economy principles (SDG 12, SDG 17)
• Technological advancements in sorting and washing enhancing PCR quality and yield (SDG 9)
• Increasing consumer awareness and preference for sustainable packaging solutions (SDG 12)
• Economic incentives and extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes encouraging waste reduction (SDG 12)
• Reduction of carbon footprint compared to virgin polymer production, contributing to climate mitigation (SDG 13)

Potential Growth Constraints

• Limited availability and inconsistent quality of post-consumer film feedstock (SDG 12)
• High capital requirements and extended lead times for recycling facility development (SDG 9)
• Technical and regulatory challenges in achieving food-grade certification for PCR (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being)
• Price volatility and competition for feedstock from alternative waste management routes (SDG 12)
• Performance limitations of PCR in certain high-specification applications (SDG 9)

Demand Structure by End-Use Industry and SDG Alignment

Flexible Packaging Films (38% Estimated Market Share)

Flexible packaging films represent the largest segment for rLDPE/rLLDPE PCR, driven by brand commitments to incorporate recycled content. Regulatory revisions enabling food-grade PCR use and advancements in barrier layer technologies support SDG 12 and SDG 3 by promoting safer, sustainable packaging.

• Focus on R&D for food-grade PCR certification
• Growth in mono-material packaging to enhance recyclability
• Investment in extrusion lines for higher PCR incorporation
• Increasing demand for high-clarity PCR in transparent packaging

Carrier Bags and Sacks (25% Estimated Market Share)

This segment is driven by legislation imposing recycled content mandates and taxes on virgin plastic bags, supporting SDG 12 by reducing plastic waste. Growth is expected through expanded regulations and enhanced product durability.

• Expansion of mandatory recycled content laws
• Retailer consolidation to secure PCR supply
• Development of durable PCR blends for reusable bags
• Standardization to improve recyclability

Stretch Wrap and Shrink Film (18% Estimated Market Share)

Industrial stretch wrap and shrink films utilize rLLDPE PCR primarily in non-food applications. Corporate sustainability initiatives in logistics and manufacturing drive demand, aligning with SDG 9 and SDG 12.

• Development of high-performance rLLDPE blends
• Corporate targets for sustainable packaging in logistics
• Use of colored PCR where clarity is less critical
• Collaborations to create dedicated PCR material streams

Agricultural Films (12% Estimated Market Share)

Though currently minimal, PCR use in agricultural films is emerging due to sustainability pressures and regulatory focus on reducing plastic waste in agriculture, supporting SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

• R&D for UV-stabilized PCR blends
• Take-back schemes for end-of-life agricultural films
• Use of PCR in multi-layer films
• Growing interest from large-scale farming operations

Injection Molding & Extrusion Coating (7% Estimated Market Share)

This segment includes durable goods and extrusion coatings, with growth linked to packaging system integration of PCR, promoting SDG 12 and SDG 9 through innovation and sustainable production.

• Development of high-melt-flow PCR grades for molding
• Qualification of food-grade PCR for extrusion coatings
• Designing packaging for full PCR compatibility
• Use of PCR in non-packaging molded items

Key Market Participants Supporting Circular Economy and SDGs

Regional Market Dynamics and SDG Implications

Asia-Pacific (42% Estimated Share)

Asia-Pacific leads in market size and growth, driven by packaging consumption and evolving waste management policies aligned with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 12. National recycling targets and bans on waste imports stimulate domestic recycling investments.

Europe (28% Estimated Share)

Europe is the most regulated market, with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) setting global standards. The region exemplifies SDG 12 and SDG 13 leadership through advanced collection systems and innovation in food-grade PCR technologies.

North America (22% Estimated Share)

Growth in North America is propelled by state-level mandates and corporate sustainability leadership, supporting SDG 12 and SDG 17. Challenges remain in flexible film collection rates.

Latin America (5% Estimated Share)

Latin America is an emerging market with growing EPR frameworks and brand commitments, contributing to SDG 12. Investments in collection and sorting infrastructure are expected to unlock further potential.

Middle East & Africa (3% Estimated Share)

This region is nascent in PCR demand, with growth linked to foreign investment and circular economy initiatives, supporting SDG 9 and SDG 17 over the medium term.

Market Outlook (2026-2035)

The global rLDPE/rLLDPE (PCR) market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7% from 2026 to 2035, reflecting robust demand driven by regulatory mandates and sustainability commitments aligned with multiple SDGs.

This growth trajectory underscores the critical role of circular economy practices in achieving SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

For comprehensive data and scenario analysis, refer to the full IndexBox rLDPE / rLLDPE (PCR) market report.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • The article discusses recycling of plastics, circular economy, and reducing waste through increased use of recycled content in packaging.
2. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Focus on reducing carbon footprint by substituting virgin polymers with recycled plastics.
3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • Investment in advanced recycling technologies, AI-powered sorting, and chemical recycling innovations.
4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Waste management improvements and extended producer responsibility schemes contribute to sustainable urban environments.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • Target 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
   • Target 12.4: Achieve environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes throughout their life cycle.
   • Target 12.6: Encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices and integrate sustainability information into reporting cycle.
2. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • Target 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency.
4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including waste management.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Recycled Content Percentage in Packaging
   • Legally mandated recycled content targets in packaging (e.g., EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation).
2. Collection and Recycling Rates
   • Feedstock availability and quality of post-consumer film collected for recycling.
3. Certification and Quality Indicators
   • Certification of food-grade recycled plastics and compliance with safety standards.
   • Traceability systems verifying recycled content claims.
4. Corporate Sustainability Reporting
   • Annual sustainability reports by brand owners tracking PCR usage and procurement targets.
5. Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
   • Enactment and enforcement of recycled content laws, taxes on virgin plastics, and extended producer responsibility schemes.
6. Market Growth Metrics
   • Compound annual growth rate of the rLDPE/rLLDPE (PCR) market (8.7% CAGR forecasted).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: indexbox.io

It shows how community-based storytelling can make residents more powerful and create awareness of sustainability issues from a local perspective.

SDG Impact: This initiative furthers SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), supports SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and strengthens learning through SDG 4 (Quality Education).

• Sustainable construction is no longer a trend, but an urgent priority in an era defined by global challenges.
• The 2025 Sustainable Construction Barometer is a call to action for stakeholders across the construction value chain.
• The survey's findings reveal the progress made so far and the significant gaps that remain.

UNECE is responding to these challenges through both mitigation and adaptation work defined in its decarbonization strategy for inland transport adopted in 2024, as well as with its stress-test framework for evaluating the resilience of transport systems, a new template for preparing the inland transport–specific components of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and by developing a globally harmonized methodology for measuring vehicle carbon footprints.

At COP30 side events co-organized with ECLAC and ESCAP, UNECE showcased these tools and explored actions to accelerate the transformation of commitments into concrete actions for a cleaner, more resilient global transport future.

Decarbonizing transport

With over 30,000 components and complex global supply chains, the automotive industry exemplifies the challenge and opportunity for reducing carbon emissions. A key focus is cutting automotive carbon footprints through a technology-neutral cradle-to-grave assessment, which captures emissions across production, use and end-of-life stages.

The UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) is currently developing the world’s first harmonized methodology to measure vehicles’ carbon footprint throughout their lifecycle – from raw material extraction and manufacturing to use and end-of-life. Expected to be adopted in March 2026, this important milestone will provide governments and industry with a common framework for quantifying and comparing vehicle emissions, supporting evidence-based policymaking and advancing the transition to truly sustainable mobility.

With participation of Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme, Climate Envoy of The Netherlands, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), views were exchanged on the potential for greater alignment between the maritime and inland transport sectors, especially on the fuel cycle from the well-to-wheel or well-to wake (WtW) aligning carbon accounting methodologies for various fuel types. Participants also noted the longer-term opportunity of developing interoperable data systems that could support more consistent traceability of upstream emissions across transport modes—an area that remains at an early stage of exploration.

To accelerate the shift to cleaner mobility, UNECE is advancing regulatory work on battery durability and emphasizing the link between vehicles and the renewable energy systems that sustain them through its e-Mobility Task Force.

Finally, with its new template for integrating the transport sector into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), UNECE aims to help countries to systematically reflect the transport sector’s role in their climate commitments. The template offers clear indicators and metrics for measuring emission reductions and qualitative guidance for integrating transport actions into broader development strategies, to help member States translate their transport decarbonization efforts into credible, measurable and transparent national reporting.

These initiatives and tools build on the UNECE Inland Transport Committee’s Decarbonization Strategy. Together, they form a coherent framework that connects global standards to national implementation, and exemplify how regulation, innovation, and data can work hand in hand to transform ambition into tangible outcomes and accelerate the global transition to low-carbon, resilient mobility systems, noted Dmitry Mariyasin, UNECE Deputy Executive Secretary.

Building climate resilience

To limit the growing economic and social costs of climate-related disruptions, urgent action is needed to strengthen both new and existing inland transport systems. A key first step lies in understanding exposure to climate hazards and assessing the sensitivity and vulnerability of infrastructure and operations.

At a side-event co-organized with ECLAC, UNECE showcased how countries and international organizations are advancing this effort through geospatial climate risk analysis, data integration, and collaborative tools, such as the International Transport Infrastructure Observatory (ITIO).

This data-driven platform brings together transport network information and overlays it with climate hazard data. It already includes climate exposure data for Europe, Central Asia, North America and the Middle East, enabling policymakers in these regions to visualize risks and identify transport systems in need of more detailed vulnerability assessments. The platform will be expanded to include additional regions and datasets to create a truly global resource for climate-resilient transport planning.

As part of efforts to broaden the geographic scope of climate-resilient transport planning, UNECE welcomed a proposal by the South American Infrastructure Observatory of the Brasilia Consensus to collaborate with the ITIO platform and with ECLAC on incorporating GIS data and climate hazard overlays for South American transport networks. The invitation was extended during the COP30 side event by Mr. Murilo Lubambo, General Coordinator for South American Integration Affairs at the Ministry of Planning and Budget on behalf of the Brazilian Government.

Established on 30 May 2023, the Brasilia Consensus brings together twelve South American nations—Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela—with the shared objective of strengthening regional ties and advancing integration. This initiative marks a significant step toward creating a truly global platform for climate-informed transport planning.

Moreover, participants were informed about the UNECE stress-test framework for evaluating the resilience of transport systems helps countries determine whether a specific transport system can withstand a series of stress tests related to defined hazard scenarios and thus be assessed as resilient to such scenarios. For transport systems that do not pass these stress tests, targeted adaptation programmes must be put in place. UNECE is supporting member States in developing adaptation pathways: forward-looking strategies that guide investment and maintenance decisions under different climate scenarios.

By combining infrastructure and hazard data, scientific projections can be translated into actionable insights, “identifying where extreme heat might disrupt a key corridor, where flood-risk mitigation is most urgent, or where maintenance funding will yield the greatest resilience gains, empowering policymakers to act before disasters strike,” said Mr. Mariyasin.

From erecting seawalls to selling citizenship, vulnerable small islands are taking sometimes drastic measures to protect themselves from rising seas, storms and economic devastation.

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“The ACT 1.5 event in August may be the last time we play Bristol, so we’ve put a lot of attention into making sure the experience is as rich as possible,” stated Robert Del Naja. “The show itself is a transgressive leap in our collaboration with Adam Curtis and United Visual Artists that we’re really excited to present.” 

“The show production is pioneering in all aspects of decarbonisation and will create a blueprint for the way live shows can be produced,” he continued. “The scale of innovations and emissions reductions will speak for themselves. It’s a special moment for multiple reasons, and we cannot wait to see you all there.” 

“The UK festival community uses in excess of 12 million litres of diesel annually,” said Steven Meersman, the Founding Director of ZENOBE Energy. “We are excited to collaborate with Massive Attack to deliver a truly zero emission live event together. Our Second Life Batteries will provide clean power to on-site equipment. At the same time, our first life batteries will power Newport Bus’ vehicles to provide a zero-emission way to get to and from the venue, continuing a long-standing partnership we have with the operator.  This live music event will set a precedent for more carbon-free shows to take place in the years ahead.”  

The band will be joined by Run The Jewel’s Killer Mike, as well as Lankum, Sam Morton with producer Richard Russell and Wild Bunch’s DJ Milo for their 25 August event at Clifton Downs, Bristol. 

Here’s an itemised list of their plans for the August event:  

1. 48-hour pre-sale period for Bristol region postcodes. 
2. 5 x show special trains operating one hour after the Network Rail schedule is closed – with routes predicated on anonymised ticket holder postcode data.  
3. Rail incentivisation scheme offering any ticket holder travelling outside Bristol wristband access to a VIP (VERY IMPORTANT PROCESS) bar and toilets.  
4. Entire festival site and all operations powered by 100% renewable energy & battery.  
5. Free show electric bus shuttles to and from both Bristol Temple Meads and Parkway. 
6. No private vehicle car parks on or adjacent to festival site.      
7. Meticulous spec’ing of energy and energy efficient equipment chosen to reduce overall demand. 
8. 100% plant-based food outlets, using localised food supply chain. 
9. Reusable cup system on all bars, encouraging audience to bring their own reusables containers. 
10. Food Waste prevention plan + Redistribution of any surplus food.   
11. 100% zero to landfill waste policy. 
12. Food waste separation to be composted – all serve ware to be 100% compostable 
13. Biomethane / Verified HVO (100% waste product/no virgin land use) vehicle waste removal.  
14. 100% compostable toilets. 
15. All site infrastructure shared with an existing festival on the same site – no “new build” emissions.  
16. Long wheelbase fully electric trucks to assist all build and battery movement. 
17. Lighting 100% solar and electric battery  
18. LED and low energy / efficient lighting prioritised for all stage production and artistic lighting. 
19. All feasible Massive Attack tour routes taken by rail.  
20. All ground transport 100% electric vehicle fleets.  
21. All support acts encouraged to travel by rail 
22. Supplier Transport 100% Electrified or 100% waste product – RFAS verified drop in HVO fuel. (the show will operate a refuelling tank on site for vehicle departures).  
23. Advance prioritising fewest trucks, shortest journeys and lowest mileage. Prioritising lightweight, space efficient and local equipment. 
24. The ACT1.5 show legacy measures include: Creation of a new, permanent climate resilient woodland of 19,150 native oak trees in James Wood, near Taunton – 44 miles from Bristol. The land comprises 85 acres of former farmland and unmanaged woodland and provides education, carbon capture, flood resilience and a rich area of biodiversity. 
25. Development of power substation + feeder pillars to offer all festival, event, show and film production activities on Bristol Downs (plus new vehicle charging capacity) electrification via 100% renewable energy.

“This gig is seriously pulling out all the stops and has assembled excellent forward-thinking organisations and individuals to make this the lowest carbon event possible, setting a new green standard to aspire to,“ said Claire O’Neill, CEO of A Greener Future.  

“It’s no small undertaking, and impressive to see what can be achieved when the people in charge really mean it.”

The “large-scale climate action accelerator event”will take place on 25 August at Clifton Downs in Bristol.

As a subsistence farmer, Bingala didn't have the resources to start over. But then he got a payment of about $750, which he used to build his family a new house.

The payment is one of the first examples of "loss and damage" compensation, a new kind of funding specifically for climate change-related disasters. Low-income countries are bearing the brunt of more intense storms and droughts but have done little to produce the pollution that's heating up the planet. So last year, wealthier countries agreed to create a fund specifically to pay for the damages from climate change.

So far, about $720 million has been pledged from countries, like the European Union, U.S. and United Arab Emirates. But climate experts warn that with hurricanes and floods only getting worse, that amount will fall far short.

At the COP29 climate summit underway in Baku, Azerbaijan, countries are negotiating how much is owed to developing nations, as part of a larger "climate finance" package that includes loans and investments.

"We just hope that the global north and the nations whose economy is fueled by the emissions — they come to the plate and take up their responsibility to look at what they're causing us," says Philip Davis, prime minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

Finding a way to start over

The havoc from Cyclone Freddy was widespread across several countries, displacing 650,000 people from their homes in Malawi alone. The country received six months of rain in just six days.

After their house collapsed in the floodwaters, Bingala and his family took refuge on higher ground, but the situation quickly deteriorated. They started running out of food.

Christopher Bingala, a farmer in Malawi, stands outside his new home. After losing his house in Cyclone Freddy, he received a payment from a new fund for the damages from climate-related disasters.

Henderson Mhone

"We got to a point where we would eat meat from animals that had died from the cyclone because we lacked food," Bingala says. "This was a very difficult moment in my life."

Along with thousands of others, he and his family were relocated to temporary camps. But as a small-scale farmer and fisherman, Bingala had no safety net to fall back on. Then he received the cash payment, which allowed him to move to a new village and build a better house. There are still challenges — Bingala is still trying to get his kids back in school and he's hoping to get a few livestock again. But he's glad his family is living in a less flood-prone region.

"They are better off here because they are not in danger of the water challenges we had back in Makhanga," Bingala says. "This is a dry and upper land, so my children are ok and they're happy. They're living a happy life."

Piloting a system to pay damages

The payment Bingala received came from the government of Scotland, the first country to dedicate funding specifically for loss and damage. The funds have gone to several countries so far. In Malawi, they were given out by GiveDirectly, a nonprofit that specializes in providing cash grants to those in need with no strings attached.

About 2,700 families got payments of around $750, which can be equivalent to two years of income in Malawi. Many used the money to rebuild homes, while others invested in seeds, fertilizers and livestock, or putting their kids back in school.

"Low-income households in low-income countries have far less protections from extreme events," says Yolande Wright, vice president of partnerships at GiveDirectly. "They may not have any sort of insurance. There may not be any insurance products available, even if they wanted to buy them."

The program in Malawi is a pilot, in a sense, for a larger system to pay for loss and damage. Last year, countries agreed to create the fund as a way to compensate lower-income countries, which have low greenhouse gas emissions overall. Almost half of all emissions since the Industrial Revolution have come from the U.S. and Europe.

"The very poor, low-income households in Malawi have contributed the least to the climate problem," Wright says. "Many of them are not connected to electricity. They don't own a car or even a motor bike."

A ballooning need for loss and damage funding

Increasingly severe hurricanes, storms and droughts pose a massive financial burden on developing countries, especially those already in debt. In the Bahamas, Prime Minister Davis says his country's national debt went up after Hurricane Dorian hit in 2019.

"For me to recover and rebuild, I have to borrow," Davis says. "Forty percent of my national debt could be directly attributed to the consequences of climate change."

So far, the majority of $720 million pledged for loss and damage has yet to start flowing. At the COP29 summit, countries finalized the paperwork to create the fund, which will be housed at the World Bank. The fund's guidelines have yet to be set up, like determining which countries will receive funding and for what kinds of damages.

Many low-income countries have argued the funding should go to more than just disaster recovery. Some could be used to relocate villages in the path of sea level rise, or to compensate countries for the loss of important cultural sites or ecological resources, like coral reefs.

The need for loss and damage funding is only expected to balloon as disasters get more extreme. One recent study found it will reach $250 billion per year by 2030. Davis says he hopes richer countries will contribute more in "enlightened self-interest," since many humanitarian crises do not stay confined to country borders.

"If they do nothing, they will be the worst for it," Davis says. "When my islands are swallowed up by the sea, then what do my people do? They'll either become climate refugees or they'll be doomed to a watery grave."

For example, poor levels of walkability are associated with higher rates of obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Parks and greenery are associated with better mental and cognitive health.

Australian cities sprawl. Many suburbs are hard to get to by public transport or cycling and walking.

Our sprawling cities use a lot of land per person. Their resource use and carbon footprints are massive. They also produce huge amounts of waste.

To resolve such issues, government planners should think beyond our capital cities. Australia needs to develop strategies that connect these capitals with surrounding regional cities to create “megacity regions”.

It’s a settlement model that could work better than our big cities do now, making urban growth more sustainable. The emergence of hybrid work, fast internet and high-speed rail favours this form of settlement.

What are megacity regions?

A megacity region, according to the OECD, is a network of urban areas linked to a capital city by home-to-work commuting. Megacity regions connect these urban centres more efficiently to make them more sustainable and productive.

An early example is the Bos-Wash corridor (including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC) in North America that emerged around the mid-20th century. Megacity regions are now common across Europe (for example, Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr region including Dortmund, Essen, Duesseldorf and Cologne, and the Netherlands’ Randstad region including Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht). The Taiheiyō Belt in Japan (including Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima and Fukuoka) is one of many Asian examples.

How ready is Australia for megacity regions?

The 2019 CSIRO Australian National Outlook explored the question “What will Australia be like economically, socially and environmentally in 2060?” Its modelling showed “stronger regions” created major benefits across transport, health, education, jobs and housing. One scenario involved 16 million people living in regional Australia by 2060, with 10 million in regional cities.

CSIRO concluded that “investing in the growth of regional satellite cities with strong connectivity to those capitals” creates many opportunities. This growth would benefit the regions while easing pressures on the capitals.

In recent years, the New South Wales government has developed ideas for Sydney to grow into a Six Cities Region from Newcastle to Wollongong.

The Committee for Melbourne has called for an Australian East Coast Megaregion to boost economic growth and attract foreign investment.

In 2023, the Victorian government indicated a statewide strategy, Plan Victoria, would replace Plan Melbourne.

However, without robust regionalisation policies, Melbourne and Sydney are likely to become sprawling megacities of ten million people or more this century. This will add to the strain on transport, infrastructure and housing.

What makes change possible?

Cities and their central business districts are important for their agglomeration effects – the accumulated benefits of concentrated social and economic activity. But this also often leads to social, economic and environmental problems.

Integrating regional cities into the economic life of their capital cities can reduce some of these problems. It can also produce many benefits, including new and more efficient industries, enhanced communication networks and stronger labour markets.

Settlement systems have evolved throughout history. Walking cities became rail-oriented cities, which became car-based cities. All these models in their day supported a daily return commute averaging one hour (Marchetti’s constant).

Our research explores how new technologies and work practices can enable a fourth transition to the megacity region. The drivers of this change include ubiquitous fast internet, hybrid work and high-speed rail.

Ubiquitous fast internet

NBN broadband data from 2012 to 2021 showed little difference between Melbourne and Victorian regional cities in the uptake of typical residential internet connections. There was a major difference for higher-speed business connections.

Major capital cities continue to act as engines of bandwidth-hungry, information economy industries in Australia. They have more high-skilled workers and higher uptake of fast internet.

Overall, the data reflected that regional cities in Victoria mostly house “population-serving” rather than “producer-services” industries. Fast internet can open up job opportunities, but is not by itself enough to decentralise knowledge industries.

Hybrid work

Working both from home and in the office has become established since COVID. Hybrid work improves sustainability, mostly by reducing car use and road congestion.

Today, only 18% of Australian knowledge workers work “only in the office”.

Not having to go into work every day means knowledge workers can live further from their workplace. This changes the employment landscape in regional centres. Many information economy jobs can be done in non-metropolitan locations where housing costs less.

High-speed rail

Fast rail systems have long been debated in Australia, with various options proposed.

Victoria introduced “faster” regional rail in 2005-06. The populations of urban centres served by these lines have since grown faster than “off-line” ones.

The gap in job growth rates between on-line and off-line centres was greater for producer services than people-serving jobs. The latter are tied more closely to demand from local residents.

Designated growth areas on the outer fringes of Melbourne had much higher population and employment growth rates, indicating that current transport polices have supported urban sprawl. High-speed rail can help urban growth to “leap over” outer suburbs to the regional cities.

What could high-speed rail lead to? In England, the advent of high-speed rail (speeds of more than 200km/hr) resulted in notably higher population growth in on‑line local area districts compared to off-line. The on-line districts, across the board, experienced a stronger shift towards information and knowledge-based industries than off-line ones. Some even outperformed outer metropolitan London districts.

Why is this important now?

Both federal and Victorian governments are preparing strategic plans to guide long-term urban development. Both have issued discussion documents for public feedback.

These documents are long on planning principles but short on mission-scale programs capable of transformative change. This sort of change is now the focus of long-term planning internationally. Land-use planning of megacity regions needs to feature strongly in Australian urbanisation plans too.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to achieve urban development at a scale and in a form that can transform Australia’s settlement system.

Approximately 85 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector are related to the surface transportation system.

Public transportation use is one of the most effective actions individuals can take to conserve energy. Riding public transportation far exceeds the benefits of other energy-saving household activities, such as using energy-efficient light bulbs, adjusting thermostats, or using energy-efficient appliances.

A single person who switches from a 20-mile commuting alone by car to existing public transportation, can reduce their annual CO2 emissions by 20 pounds per day, or more than 48,000 pounds in a year. That is equal to 10% reduction in all greenhouse gases produced by a typical two-adult, two-car household.

By eliminating one car and taking public transportation instead of driving, a saving of 30% of carbon dioxide emissions can be realized.

U.S. public transportation saves 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to the emissions resulting from the electricity generated for the use of 4.9 million households or every household in Washington DC; New York City; Atlanta; Denver; and Los Angeles combined.

Public transportation in Kansas City

Locally, RideKC buses have used the equivalent of 1,000,000 diesel gallon equivalents (DGEs) of compressed natural gas (CNG) since starting to use the fuel in August 2014.

The move from diesel to CNG fuel is creating cost savings and environmental benefits. By reaching the milestone of 1,000,000 DGEs of CNG, KCATA reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 1,870 metric tons. This is the equivalent of taking 395 passenger cars off the road for one year.

Reducing fuel dependency

Public transportation use saves the U.S. the equivalent of 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually — and more than 11 million gallons of gasoline per day.

Public transportation use saves the equivalent of 300,000 fewer automobile fill- ups every day.

Public transit use saves the equivalent of 300,000 fewer automobile fill-ups every day

Reducing congestion

Public transportation has a proven record of reducing congestion.

The latest research shows that in 2011, U.S. public transportation use saved 865 million hours in travel time.

Without public transportation, congestion costs in 2011 would have risen by nearly $21 billion from $121 billion to $142 billion in 498 urban areas.

But things aren’t all bad. There are still plenty of reasons to be cheerful – or if not exactly cheerful, to be not that miserable. Cities are still innovating and doing their best to embark on green initiatives. And all around the world, people, businesses and local governments have found ways to do their bit to be more sustainable.

From mass reforestation projects and sustainable department stores to cooperative housing and revolutionary urban planning, cities are transforming their citizens’ way of life. Indeed, the bright side of the current crisis isn’t just bright: it’s blindingly promising. There are obviously plenty of people around the world who want to create real change, and they definitely deserve a bit of recognition.

As part of this year’s Time Out Love Local Awards, we asked you to name the best green city projects that you heard about in 2021. Here are all the award winners, along with a handful of other standout works that cropped up across the globe this year.

Amazing projects that made cities around the world greener in 2021

Photograph: Mark Sepple

Reducing waste from electronic devices requires a pretty niche skillset, but the Restart Project is trying to rectify that – one community event at a time. It is helping Londoners learn more about sustainable electronics and how to reduce consumption of everything from smartphones and tablets to toasters and vacuum cleaners. This year, the Project went further and launched Materials Matter, an educational site that aims to help children across the UK understand the environmental impact of a smartphone.

2. Making NYC’s gardens greener with the Restoration Project

Photograph: The New York Restoration Project

The New York Restoration Project, founded founded by actress/singer/icon Bette Midler, has been working on regreening NYC for almost a quarter of a century, but in 2021 the team’s programmes really caught our eye. The Jefferson Houses in East Harlem, Cauldwell Youth Garden in the South Bronx and Hill Street Community Garden in Staten Island were just a few of the places spruced up by the NYRP’s trellises, terraces, shrubs, raised beds, composts and rainwater harvesting systems. 

3. Superblocks are transforming the city streets in Barcelona

Photograph: Shutterstock

Barcelona’s glorious superilles continue to swallow up greater areas of the city, greenifying and pedestrianising as they go. In 2021, the Catalan capital completed the transformation of streets in Sant Martí, extending the overall superblock area by more than 14,000 square kilometres, and started work on the streets of Rector Triadó and Torre d’en Damians. One of the twenty-first century’s most ambitious urban-planning projects grows more impressive by the year.

4. The pioneering cooling measures in Tokyo

Photograph: Hirohito Takada / Shutterstock.com

Keeping cities naturally cool reduces the need for air conditioning and so lowers energy consumption. In the lead-up to the 2021 Olympics, Tokyo needed to find ways to make its sweltering, 40C summer more bearable. The result was an ingenious array of cooling tech, from wooden architecture (like the cedar National Stadium) to solar paint (on running surfaces and roads) and water spray systems.

5. Milan’s 35km of new cycle lanes

Photograph: Alessandro Perazzoli / Shutterstock.com

Milan’s been investing a lot in green initiatives over the past few years, but 2021 saw the rise and rise of the city’s cycle lanes. After being announced in 2020, the Strade Aperte (Open Roads) project has built more than 35km of new bike paths, stretching all the way to the outskirts and totally transforming central streets like the Corso Buenos Aires. As such a flat and compact city, Milan could one day be a cyclist’s paradise – and that potential is starting to be fully realised.

6. The foodie revolution of Écotable in Paris

Photograph: MIKA COTELLON

Écotable doesn’t just point the general public towards eco-friendly restaurants (although that’s useful enough on its own) – it also trains and supports establishments that are involved in sustainable catering. But in 2021 it succeeded in something else: the Écotable Community (La Communauté Écotable) rallied to support those in need. From March through June, it mobilised a network of 24 restaurants throughout Paris to provide more than 12,000 meals to students with food insecurity. Santé!

7. Sustainable building tech at the Sara Cultural Centre in Sweden

Photograph: Jonas Westling

What’s a better way to beat back misconceptions that wood is a poor building material than to build an enormous, gorgeous skyscraper out of it? At 75 metres and 20 storeys tall, the Sara Cultural Centre in Skellefteå, Sweden, shows that reinforced timber can be the sustainable building material of the future. The ‘plyscraper’ opened its doors to the public in September, but it’s just the latest in a long line of green projects in Skellefteå, a town that is already full of wooden buildings and soon aims to be 100 percent powered by renewable electricity.

8. The cooking bags changing lives in Durban

Photograph: Wonderbag

Durban’s Wonderbags are essentially big slow-cookers made out of cloth. Not only are they great for the environment – limiting fuel consumption, pollution and water usage – but they also help families save money and reduce the amount of time women have to spend doing dangerous things like collecting fuel alone (that in itself is a sobering thought, we know). Throughout 2021, a year of power cuts and social unrest in the third-biggest city in South Africa, Wonderbags really came into their own.

9. Design beauty plus wind tech at Rotterdam’s Flower Turbines

Photograph: Flower Turbines

Pledging to make wind turbines that ‘you want to live and work next to’, Flower Turbines are small, quiet and, if we’re being honest, strikingly beautiful works of design. Throughout 2021 they’ve been popping up all over Rotterdam, from the Kleinpolderplein transport hub to a Roodhart warehouse in the city’s harbour district. Tulip-shaped and often fitted with solar panel ‘leaves’, they’re perfect examples of how cities can combine environmental tech with stunning design.

10. In Reykjavik, the Orca consumes carbon by the tonne

Photographs: Climeworks

Just half an hour’s drive from Reykjavik lies the Transformer-like Orca, the world’s largest climate-positive direct air capture plant. Made by Climeworks, it was turned on in September and, put simply, it absorbs carbon – 4,000 tonnes of it – from the air every year. While that might not seem like much (in the grand scheme of things, we’d need 10 million of these things to absorb as much carbon as we currently pollute), it’s the most exciting hint yet that, one day, carbon-capture technology might find a solution to global warming. 

11. We Park’s community spaces are changing Bangkok

Photograph: Nontawat Sutthikorn / Time Out Bangkok

We Park takes Bangkok’s abandoned and idle urban spaces and rejuvenates them into delightful community parks. The first of those parks opened in September in Wat Hua Lamphong and features not just lush greenery but exercise machines, benches and a colourful children’s playground. There’s due to be four pilot We Parks throughout Bangkok and hopefully many, many more in the years to come.  

12. Tower block = green haven at Ørsted Gardens in Copenhagen

Photograph: Hampus Berndtson / Tegnestuen LOKAL

How do you turn a harsh, tired and frankly dull building into a glorious environmental statement? It’s simple, really. You add plants – lots of them. Danish architecture studio Tegnestuen LOKAL saw a tower block in Copenhagen and thought: this has the potential to be transformed into a green residential haven. They added a façade of shared balconies, complete with trellises of plants, huge windows, wooden decking and flower beds. The result was Ørsted Gardens, a marvellous work of upcycling.

13. The Green Pea eco shopping centre is transforming Turin

Photograph: Green Pea

While most of us are lucky to find an eco-friendly aisle in a supermarket, Turin has an entire shopping centre dedicated to green goods and services. Since opening at the very end of last year, Green Pea has quickly established itself as the mall of a sustainable future. All of the retail park’s five floors and 60-plus shops are focused on reusable, recyclable, locally-sourced goods. One day, we might all be lucky enough to have a Green Pea on our doorstep.

Scenarios are visions of how the world might unfold. They can consist of stories, numerical projections, or both. Typically scenarios describe trends in drivers of change—factors like population and economic growth, how fast technological progress occurs, and changes to the climate system. Historically, small sets of common scenarios have been widely used by the global change research community. Researchers use the scenarios as inputs to project the consequences of the drivers, for example, for agricultural production, water availability, or the costs of decarbonization. We propose that new scenarios are needed that include outcomes (consequences) not just for physical or managed systems, but also for human well-being and resilience, including health, poverty, and household food, water, and energy security. Further, the scenarios should not only include well-being outcomes, but be organized around them. That is, scenarios should be designed not necessarily to span a wide range of drivers, but rather to span a wide range of well-being and resilience outcomes. Designing scenarios around the ultimate outcomes of interest will improve the assessment of risks and responses related to well-being and resilience. New quantitative methods for generating and identifying scenarios can facilitate this process. Also, making them more easily accomplished or standardized can streamline their application.

1 Introduction

Scenarios developed for wide use in the climate and global change research community have played a prominent role for decades. Community scenarios reduce the duplication of effort that would occur if all research groups were left to develop their own projections of societal and environmental conditions on which to base their analyses. They also encourage the development of a broad scientific literature that shares common assumptions about future underlying trends, making it possible to synthesize results from a large number of studies to draw conclusions about possible future conditions.

However, research needs have evolved over time, and scenario frameworks need to evolve with them. Most current frameworks, including the SSP-RCP scenarios (O’Neill et al., 2020; van Vuuren et al., 2014) and the SRES framework (Nakicenovic et al., 2000), focus on providing a common set of qualitative and quantitative inputs to models and other analyses. The broader research community then uses these inputs to investigate implications for various outcomes—that is, the model outputs or results that are of interest in a given study. These outcomes may be related to climate change impacts, societal response options such as energy or land policies, or adaptation.

While this approach has been successful in facilitating a wide range of studies, it leaves several gaps. In particular, most studies do not project future outcomes for human well-being, but rather stop short at outcomes for biophysical systems (e.g., effects on the climate system, land cover, or water supply), managed systems (effects on energy, agriculture, and water systems), and economic systems (effects on GDP, prices, or output levels). While researchers, such as those within the MultiSector Dynamics (MSD) Community of Practice (Reed et al., 2022), have been advancing the study of such systems and their complex interactions, less work has built on that foundation to extend our understanding to associated outcomes for societal well-being. Well-being is a broad concept that we discuss in more detail in the next section, but briefly it refers to the conditions that allow individuals to live a meaningful life. These include conditions that are amenable to modeling, such as health; education; energy, water, and food security; and living standards. Many more studies project outcomes for global average temperature, national-level GDP, or crop yields (all measures of systems) than for numbers of cases of a particular disease, the burden placed on households by energy expenditures, or the numbers of people in poverty (all measures of well-being). This imbalance is particularly noteworthy given the fact that well-being outcomes are arguably what ultimately motivates research into many systems (Figure 1).

In addition, as noted above, current scenario frameworks provide common inputs to other studies, including trends in population, economic growth, and rates of technological change. Researchers use them to drive projections of whatever type of outcome they may be interested in. Thus, inputs to models are coordinated (through scenarios), while outcomes for societal conditions are not. As a result, the production of outcomes of interest in common metrics across studies has been limited. By “metrics” we mean measures of the extent or degree of a broader category of outcomes, such as under-nourishment as a metric of food security.

Existing scenario frameworks have also generally focused on particular issues, such as climate change (SSPs, SRES, NGFS (Network for Greening of the Financial System)) or biodiversity and ecosystem services (MEA (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment), IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services)), rather than explicitly accommodating multiple issues of interest (climate, biodiversity, air quality, water quality, sustainable development, national security, etc.) and multiple stressors. In addition, they have been primarily developed at the national to global scale, with more ad hoc extensions to the sub-national scale, where adaptation and decision options come to the fore. Finally, these frameworks have also been developed with a limited range of methods, mainly traditional storyline and simulation approaches, while more systematic and quantitative approaches (including exploratory modeling and scenario discovery) have played an ancillary role.

There are exceptions to these general tendencies. Individual studies may focus on well-being outcomes such as food security (van Meijl et al., 2020) or poverty (Crespo Cuaresma et al., 2018), or evaluate a range of outcomes (Creutzig et al., 2022). Model comparison exercises may even coordinate across multiple models to address such topics (Hasegawa et al., 2018). But these analyses employ scenario frameworks that were designed for other purposes and that generally aim to cover a wide range of drivers, rather than being designed to cover a wide range of well-being outcomes. Some past scenario efforts, such as those for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA, 2005), incorporated outcomes into their design, and recently the Sustainable Development Pathways (SDPs) have been developed to explore scenarios that attempt to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement goals jointly (Soergel, Kriegler, Weindl, et al., 2021), and therefore have a strong orientation toward well-being outcomes. However the SDPs focus on how the world might achieve specific goals rather than exploring future well-being outcomes more broadly. Outcome-driven community scenarios remain a gap in research.

As such, we propose the need for an outcome-based scenario development process that would address these gaps by being organized around outcomes for well-being, allowing for the analysis of multiple issues at multiple scales, and employing new systematic techniques for developing and exploring scenarios and characterizing their uncertainty. We use “scenario” in an integrated sense: a vision of how the future may unfold that accounts for both socio-economic and climate/environmental change, and in particular that includes not only drivers of those changes but also the outcomes for societal well-being and resilience.

The new scenario framework we envision would be designed from the outset to explore key well-being outcomes, such as water, food, and energy security from subnational to global scales. By taking a multisector, multiscale approach to scenario design, the framework would produce a greater diversity of well-being outcomes than existing scenario databases which were not designed for this purpose. Furthermore, the proposed framework would leverage large scenario ensembles and emergent data-driven scenario generation methods, like scenario discovery, to allow a thorough exploration of uncertainty, investigation of tradeoffs between metrics of well-being, and selection of scenarios most relevant for specific applications.

2 Vision

The scenario development process we envision would be organized around the goal of understanding future outcomes for societal well-being and resilience, and sensitivities of these outcomes to multiple possible stressors. Well-being is an inherently multidimensional concept that broadly refers to what constitutes a “good life” (Stiglitz et al., 2009). While it can include subjective elements, it can also include dimensions amenable to analysis in the multi-sector dynamics field including food, water, and energy security; health; living standards; and quality of the environment. Resilience typically refers to the ability to cope with and respond to a disturbance such as an event or a change in a trend. Thus, within this scenarios framework, the goal would be to understand how various factors may affect the well-being of society and how resilient society is; that is, when stressed by any biophysical (e.g., climate, air quality) or socioeconomic (e.g., technological change, policy change) factor, how much is well-being impacted and how difficult is it to recover? As discussed in the introduction, while some studies and scenarios may share these goals, the framework we propose is explicitly designed around these aims.

We believe that both well-being and resilience are important goals for the scenario framework to encompass. However, considering them both from the outset presents substantial challenges. They may have different determinants; the human and earth system dynamics that shape them may be different, and therefore require different types of model development; and the metrics used to measure them likely differ, with resilience, reflecting the capacity for a particular kind of dynamic behavior, being harder to capture. Indeed resilience has alternative definitions capturing different types of dynamics (Irwin et al., 2017), and so choices would need to be made even in its definition. We therefore propose to focus initially on well-being for the purpose of the proposed framework, with the anticipation of extending it to resilience at a later stage in the process.

Well-being itself has been defined in many ways that identify a large number of possible dimensions of the concept. Broadly speaking, these can be divided into “subjective” and “objective” dimensions (Voukelatou et al., 2021). Subjective well-being is a psychological concept that reflects an individual's judgment of their quality of life. It is often equated with happiness, although happiness can include not only the predominance of positive over negative feelings and high life satisfaction, but also feelings of living a life with meaning and purpose (Kashdan et al., 2008).

In contrast, objective well-being measures external factors that reflect conditions that can foster a good life. In the capabilities approach of Amartya Sen, dimensions of well-being are factors that can enhance the capabilities and freedoms of people to choose the life they value (Stiglitz et al., 2009). The choice of any particular set of dimensions of well-being is a value judgment. A range of dimensions of objective well-being have been proposed. For example, many of the SDGs and their associated targets can be seen as dimensions of objective well-being (Lamb & Steinberger, 2017), as they include material conditions (poverty), quality of life factors (health; education; climate; food, water, and energy security), and social factors (gender equality, reduced inequality, peace, justice). The OECD, in its own set of dimensions of well-being, also identifies material conditions (e.g., income, wealth, and housing), quality of life factors (e.g., health, knowledge and skills, environmental quality, and safety), and social factors (e.g., social connections, civic engagement) (OECD, 2020).

We focus here on a subset of objective aspects of well-being that are amenable to quantitative analysis and most directly relevant to human-earth system interactions. Table 1 shows a number of possible outcomes characterizing different dimensions of well-being that could potentially be quantified in models.

Table 1. Illustrative Outcomes for Various Dimensions of Well-Being That Could Potentially Be Quantified in Models

Well-being outcomes
Energy security	Living standards	Education
Energy burden	Income	Mean years of schooling
Energy poverty	Consumption	% completed primary, secondary, tertiary
Access	Economic welfare	Education quality
Reliability	Wealth	Social conditions
Unmet demand	Poverty	Conflict
Water security	Income inequality	Shelter
Exposure to water stress	Livelihoods	Migration
Flood damages	Employment	Environmental conditions
Flood mortality	Health	Biodiversity
Drought damages	Mortality	Ecosystem integrity, functioning
Access to clean water	Morbidity	Ecosystem services
Food security	Health care costs
Food burden
Malnutrition
Micronutrient deficiency

• Note. For most outcomes, multiple metrics could be used to quantify them. For example, income inequality could be measured by the Gini coefficient, the Palma ratio, the share of income going to the top 1% of households, or other measures.

Scenario development would involve a combination of exploratory modeling and scenario discovery, representing a new systematic and quantitative way of generating and conceptualizing scenarios. Existing scenarios were generally designed to span a wide range of a set of input drivers based on narratives of different potential futures, which may or may not span an interesting range of outcomes for well-being metrics. In contrast, our proposed process uses exploratory modeling specifically designed to span a relevant range of those outcomes. Exploratory modeling is an approach that uses computational experiments to systematically explore the implications of varying assumptions and hypotheses to assist in reasoning about systems where there is significant uncertainty (Bankes, 1993; Kwakkel & Pruyt, 2013). It involves running large ensembles of model simulations under different assumptions, which can then be analyzed using scenario discovery techniques to provide valuable insights. Scenario discovery involves screening databases of model simulations using machine learning classification algorithms to identify outcomes of interest and their conditions for occurring (Bryant & Lempert, 2010; Groves & Lempert, 2007; Lempert, 2003). Combining exploratory modeling and scenario discovery enables the identification of relevant scenarios by working backwards from the outcomes of interest to the conditions that would produce those outcomes. This enables a shift in focus from “what if” scenarios that attempt to predict outcomes for given sets of assumptions to scenarios specifically designed to explore the plausible ranges of outcomes for well-being and the conditions that lead to certain desired or undesired outcomes.

This framework would need to be flexible to facilitate multi-scale analysis. We propose to focus initially on national to global scales, but including regionally-differentiated US scenarios. Our ambition is that these scenarios would support the extension of this framework to regionally-differentiated scenarios in other countries (e.g., China, India), and to even finer, sub-national scales within the US (e.g., to individual cities, states, or bioregions). Timescales would extend at least through the end of the century. These spatial and temporal scales allow the incorporation of the influence of global conditions and international teleconnections on national and sub-national patterns of change, the exploration of long-term consequences of short-term changes, and vice-versa.

We envision this framework as complementary to, not a replacement for, existing frameworks such as the SSPs and these scenarios could be mapped to, and incorporated into, the SSP framework (and vice-versa). The SSPs themselves are alternative socio-economic development pathways without climate change impacts or policy that describe worlds with different levels of challenges to adaptation and mitigation (Kriegler et al., 2012; O’Neill et al., 2014). They include qualitative descriptions of some well-being outcomes (O’Neill et al., 2017), and extensions to the scenarios have quantified some measures of well-being such as poverty (Soergel, Kriegler, Bodirsky, et al., 2021) and inequality (Rao et al., 2018). In our framework, the scenarios would be developed to span a wide range of well-being outcomes, rather than focusing on challenges to adaptation and mitigation. Well-being quantification would be part of the design of the scenarios rather than being added afterward. Drivers for the two scenario sets would likely differ.

Because this framework is organized around outcomes for well-being, it would be suitable for analysis of multiple issues with different drivers, including climate change but also including air quality, demographic change, potentially disruptive technological changes, trade regimes, and security issues. It would facilitate addressing questions such as: what factors would promote, or put at risk, human well-being? What are synergies and tradeoffs across different dimensions of well-being? What types of interventions could improve well-being?

The development of this framework would have a number of benefits for the research community, including improved analysis and modeling frameworks (especially for capturing various aspects of well-being), collaboration across the MSD and international communities, and stronger connections between the MSD community and scenario users, including at federal agencies.

3 Objectives and Process Overview

The overarching goal of the proposed scenarios framework is to provide scenarios that can help structure research and inform assessment of the role of various factors in promoting, or putting at risk, human well-being and societal resilience. We envision a scenarios framework (Figure 2) that will generate two main scenario products: (a) a large, searchable database of scenarios with various combinations of alternative driving forces and stressors, and their associated outcomes for well-being and resilience and (b) a small set of community scenarios selected from the database spanning a relevant range of outcomes. The scenario database would be available to the community for direct analysis and for individual research projects to select and use scenarios tailored to their specific needs. It would differ from existing databases by including outcomes for well-being and resilience. The small set of community scenarios would be identified with scenario discovery methods and proposed for common use across a wide range of MSD studies. Wide use of these community scenarios would facilitate the development of a larger body of literature characterizing the well-being and resilience of alternative futures.

Generating an initial large database of scenarios would involve conducting exploratory modeling (i.e., running large ensembles of model simulations) designed to span a wide range of outcomes for well-being by systematically varying underlying uncertain drivers and assumptions about societal choices (e.g., the level and design of policy, the availability of carbon dioxide removal technologies, characteristics of governance, social trends, the rate of population and economic growth, the cost of technologies, fossil resource availability, and other important assumptions in a model). Conducting exploratory modeling allows for the systematic exploration of a wide range of uncertainty and scenarios from which insights about the well-being outcomes of interest can be drawn. We foresee initial pilot projects using the Global Change Analysis Model and the MIT Integrated Global System Model, two global-to-regional coupled human-Earth systems models that are well established within the MSD research community.

Researchers would use exploratory modeling to generate ensembles of model runs to generate an initial scenario database, which would consist of the full set of modeled ensemble results and would be publicly available and searchable. The database would include scenarios that consist of the assumptions and the parameter values that generated them, plus all model outcomes, including metrics of well-being as well as intermediate outcomes. Individual research projects could use the database to identify and use scenarios tailored to their specific needs. The database would also be useful for direct analysis, for example, of the tradeoffs between outcomes for different dimensions of well-being or of the distribution of outcomes across different regions or socio-economic groups.

We imagine that with the engagement of more researchers, additional models, including those at finer sub-national scales, can be used to add scenarios to the database, and the scenario database would grow as researchers from the broader community add both individual scenarios and ensembles of their own. It will also be essential for models to evolve over time to be able to model more metrics of well-being. Since many models were not designed with such metrics in mind, they may lack adequate representation of the important dynamics contributing to certain outcomes. One important function of the early stages of the process will be to identify and highlight where we have the largest gaps in our ability to model well-being metrics and what model advancements are needed. As an example, most global models are unable to distinguish between different socio-economic groups, which would be needed to capture certain well-being metrics related to equity as well as to analyze how any given well-being outcome is distributed across groups. We imagine an iterative process in which the models and metrics advance over time, contributing new scenarios to the database, enabling new analyses, and potentially producing new sets of community scenarios.

The application of scenario discovery techniques to the scenario database can stimulate creative thinking about the conditions, dynamics and tradeoffs behind outcomes for well-being. For example, after identifying metrics of well-being of interest, scenario discovery can be used to search the scenario database to identify scenarios that have particularly high or low values for the outcome metrics and find the conditions/input drivers behind those outcomes, including alternative pathways that lead to the same outcomes. In addition, these techniques can be used to explore relationships between different model outcomes and identify individual scenarios of interest, including those defined by specific combinations of outcomes. This facilitates the exploration of tradeoffs, their drivers and potential options for resolving them. For example, there may be several different pathways that lead to the same outcomes for well-being metrics related to food and water security, but very different outcomes for energy security metrics, and scenario discovery can find where those tradeoffs exist and the conditions that enable better outcomes across multiple well-being metrics.

Producing small sets of scenarios for wide use by the community would involve: (a) applying scenario discovery techniques to identify scenarios of interest from the database (e.g., scenarios with certain combinations of outcomes for different dimensions of well-being) and the conditions that produced them; and (b) conducting a model intercomparison exercise using the small set of scenarios identified in (a) to produce the best quantification of each scenario, and characterization of uncertainties, for community use. This comparison would also produce new insights and identify key areas for further model development. The process would not necessarily be linear; for example, identifying community scenarios could inform new ideas for generating additional scenarios for the database. The drivers, assumptions, and results for the community scenarios would be publicly available, along with qualitative storylines that interpret in narrative form the set of assumptions underlying the quantitative outcomes. Unlike most existing frameworks, this storyline would be developed after the model runs, rather than before them.

It is also important to recognize that outcomes will vary over time and space. A strength of the framework is that applying scenario discovery to the scenario database enables the identification of individual scenarios that meet some criteria for human well-being at a given time and place. However, the fact that outcomes change across time and space makes selecting a small set of community scenarios challenging. Community engagement will be needed to think through the best ways to approach this step. Potential options include focusing on end-of-century outcomes for the world in order to select a small scenario set, or potentially developing multiple small scenario sets for different purposes.

For this approach to developing outcome-focused scenarios to be successful, the process must involve continuous interaction with other activities, namely community engagement, metric identification and selection, and model advancements (Figure 2). The MSD and related research communities, as well as scenario users and impacted communities, should be engaged to flesh out this plan and provide expertise and input to the different stages of scenario development. Researchers will need to be engaged to carry out modeling and other analyses within the framework, and to make the model advancements needed to expand the representation of metrics of well-being. We imagine this will be an iterative process that will evolve and expand over time to accommodate new and diverse perspectives and models. The development of metrics for well-being will be a key activity shaping the scenarios and needed model development. While initial consultation on specific metrics can start with the MSD and related research communities, it will be important to extend stakeholder engagement to include different impacted communities and social scientists to capture diverse values and perspectives on what constitutes well-being, for whom, and what metrics to explore. While metrics will initially be limited by model capabilities, we expect the process to generate ideas of metrics we ideally want to investigate but cannot currently produce, thereby spurring model advances to better reflect the dynamics needed for different outcome metrics. Similarly, we expect that analysis of the scenario database would generate insights that would influence wider research activities and motivate model advancements to better capture the intended outcomes of interest, and those advancements will in turn shape further scenario development. This is a very iterative process, one that could benefit from a working group and could be expanded over time to include new perspectives.

We believe this proposed scenarios framework would fill an important research gap and help drive and facilitate collaborative research on outcomes of well-being and (ultimately) resilience in a multi-sector context while also providing a useful resource to other researchers looking for individual scenarios that fit their needs. Priorities for work toward achieving this vision include (a) developing metrics for well-being and resilience, (b) expanding the ability of modeling frameworks to capture aspects of well-being and resilience, (c) carrying out more scenarios of well-being outcomes at a variety of scales, (d) exploring ways to enhance the usefulness of scenarios to studies at smaller geographic scales, and (e) developing infrastructure for capturing comparable results and scenarios in a user-friendly database.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, as part of research in MultiSector Dynamics, Earth and Environmental System Modeling Program, including John Weyant's participation under Cooperative Agreement DE-SC0022141 and a portion of Jennifer Morris' participation under Award Number DE-FG02-94ER61937. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated for DOE by Battelle Memorial Institute under contract DE-AC05-76RL01830. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors alone.

Walk & camp on durable surfaces +> Walk more! Exploring your community can expose you to new places, reduce stress, and eliminate some transportation emmisions.

Dispose of waste properly +> On top of never littering, try to pick up dropped trash during everyday activites. Backpackers will pack out their own waste, so it's a little less scary thinking about carrying someone else's used wrapper in your pocket.

Take only pictures +> Share information about your favorite sustainable products, services, and tips with the people you care about. Having a community behind you while making difficult habit changes can be a world of difference!

Minimize campfire impacts +> Don't create more fire than you need. When you hear "reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle," remember that reducing the quantity of consumed products and services to a minimum is a gold star effort!

Respect wildlife +> Encourage safer driving for the safety of urban animals, plant native plants to improve ecological conditions, and advocate for displaced and endangered species when possible.

Engage with and be kind to other hikers +> Most importantly, shaming others into sustainable practices never works. Understand that progress takes time and people will make mistakes. Be unconditionally supportive, kind, and passionate in all efforts.

My personal use has been limited to the scanning of cosmetic products, but the food-scanning utility seems just as developed. Once a barcode has been scanned, a page including user-submitted information from ingredient labels is listed with an assosciated score of health risk by ingredient and overall. All ingredients contain a information page detailing specific regulations and effects.

The United Arab Emirates’ city and others like it built on previously uninhabitable areas reflect 20th century urban development ideas that result in the blocking of natural water absorption systems. Add increased populations, bringing with them more waste — and more need for landfills and other waste disposal methods — and the drainage challenge will continue to bedevil major global cities like Dubai facing more frequent, massive rainfalls.

Last Tuesday, the UAE received more than 10 inches of rainfall in some places, and roughly half of that level in Dubai, amounts equal to annual rainfall averages in the UAE. More frequent rain in recent years in the UAE is expected to get even worse in the years ahead, in particular, intense daily rainfall accumulations. Claims were made last week that experiments the UAE has been conducting with cloud seeding contributed to the rainfall, but the government told CNBC that was inaccurate, and other experts have dismissed those claims.

What’s known is that Dubai was built on sand, a natural environment which lets water seep into the soil very easily. But by pouring massive amounts of concrete on top of Dubai’s natural terrain, the developers effectively blocked the soil from absorbing water. Last week’s rainfall was the largest amount of precipitation recorded since the country began keeping tabs in 1949. 

“We have natural drain places that bring water directly to the aquifers and then inside our water stocks,” said architect Ana Arsky, CEO of environmental startup 4 Habitos Para Mudar o Mundo, one of several climate experts interviewed by CNBC about Dubai at last week’s Web Summit Rio. “When we pave, it’s not there anymore.”

The rapid rise of populations tied to global urbanization trends adds to waste, and while trash isn’t visible on Dubai’s streets, it has to go somewhere, often ending up in less than ideal locations. Plastic products don’t absorb water well, and when they end up in landfills around the world, massive piles of trash contribute to a global backup of natural drainage systems.

Cars are stranded on a flooded street in Dubai following heavy rains on April 18, 2024. 

Giuseppe Cacace | AFP | Getty Images

Gets a Push From Big

Corporations

Farming accounts for a significant chunk of CO2 emissions. Some big businesses are offering farmers incentives to take up regenerative ag to lessen their carbon footprint and enhance biodiversity—and profits.

Walter Furlong, a third-generation Irish farmer, and Grainne Wafer, global director at Diageo. Furlong uses regenerative techniques on his farm in County Wexford, which supplies barley to Diageo to make Guinness. Photo: Diageo

For decades, agriculture has been the climate elephant in the room. Now, some governments and a handful of major corporations are making inroads in turning farming toward more earth-healthy practices.

Forestry, agriculture and land use are responsible for around a third of global emissions—nearly 10 times the damage done by aviation. Farming also has a significant negative impact on biodiversity, freshwater resources and deforestation.

But unlike aviation, there are currently research-backed, cost-competitive ways to farm more sustainably. Regenerative or climate-smart agricultural methods could capture significant carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as well as improve soil health, biodiversity, resilience and farm economics.

Recent farmer protests drive home why politicians have shied from decarbonizing agriculture: Farmers are frustrated with increased regulations, lower-cost imports and squeezed livelihoods, while they can also be hit by extreme weather, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.

Regenerative agriculture isn’t one-size-fits-all, but rather a location-specific choice from practices including growing cover crops, reducing tillage, crop rotation and agroforestry. After an initial three- to five-year transition period, these methods increased farmers’ long-term income by up to 120%, according to a study from Boston Consulting Group. Tom Crowther, professor at Swiss university ETH Zurich, said experts estimate the soil can capture around 100 to 120 gigatons of CO₂ from the atmosphere.  

Furlong grows barley to make Guinness beer using regenerative techniques. Photo: Diageo

Third-generation farmer Walter Furlongsaid regenerative methods have improved the profitability and resilience to extreme weather of his farm in southeast Ireland while also making it more environmentally friendly. He sells his barley to drinks company Diageo to make Guinness. Furlong has used some regenerative methods for more than 20 years, but added new ones as part of a Guinness pilot. 

“We’re measuring more on the farm in terms of emissions…[and] finding that from four or five simple changes, we’re able to make some big impact in terms of reducing carbon,” he said. 

Diageo’s three-year Guinness pilot was launched in 2022 and recruited 44 farmers. In addition, the global drinks company has others covering the agave and barley used in tequila and scotch respectively, and aims to develop pilots in five key sourcing landscapes. “We are moving towards a tipping point,” said Andy Griffiths, the head of sustainable procurement at Diageo, who ran similar programs in his previous job at Nestlé. 

Despite the benefits to farmers, farms and the planet, adoption of regenerative agriculture has stalled globally, according to Barry Parkin, chief procurement and sustainability officer at pet food and candy-maker Mars. Regenerative ag methods have “been adopted across about 12% of farmland and…it’s rolling out at less than 1% a year,” Parkin said. “Clearly we don’t have 50 years or more for this to roll out,” he added.

Mars has 27 initiatives under way that cover more than a million acres of farmland across more than 10 countries and more than 10 different crops including rice, wheat, barley, corn, soy, almonds, cocoa, Parkin said. The climate-smart programs are part of its detailed action plan to reach net zero by 2050 across its value chain.

An irrigation pivot sprays recycled water on crops at McCarty Family Farms in northwest Kansas. Photo: McCarty Family Farms

Governments are trying to accelerate the shift—159 countries are signed up to the COP28 U.A.E. Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action. In the U.S., the Inflation Reduction Act earmarked $19.5 billion for climate-smart agriculture and the Agriculture Department has its $3.1 billion Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities program. 

“Those partnerships are great. They’re just now getting on the ground, and that’s understandable, remember, we work in biological systems—you have to allow time,” says Kristin Duncanson, who has worked her family’s row crop and hog farm in Minnesota for 38 crop years, or the period from one year’s harvest to the next.

“We shouldn’t think that farmers aren’t willing, it’s just a little slower than I think that some of the companies would like and maybe the American public, too,” said Duncanson. She added that it was great that companies offers farmers a choice of regenerative farming methods but said more technical assistance was needed in making those choices.

Some companies are trying to accelerate the change. A few years ago Canadian frozen-food multinational McCain Foods—which says it supplies a quarter of the world’s french fries, including to McDonald’s in some markets—analyzed the risks of more frequent and extreme weather events on its potato harvest.

“What we found was alarming, to say the least,” said Charlie Angelakos, McCain’s vice president of global external affairs and sustainability.

So alarming in fact, that McCain committed to rolling out regenerative agriculture across all its potato acreage globally by the end of 2030, Angelakos said.

But McCain is an outlier. Fifty out of 79 global food and retail giants mentioned regenerative agriculture in their public disclosures, though only 18 have formal quantitative targets in place, according to FAIRR Initiative, an investor network. The Sustainable Markets Initiative, a private-sector group launched in 2020, set up its Agribusiness Task Force to accelerate regenerative agriculture adoption and includes senior leaders from Mars, McDonald’s, PepsiCo, Bayer, McCain, Mondelez and others. 

The task force’s 2022 report concluded the main hurdle to adopting regenerative practices was that farmers’ short-term economics don’t add up, but it also found there was a knowledge gap and not everyone in the value-chain was aligned. Follow-up work concluded that farmers need financial incentives and derisking mechanisms as well as technical and peer-to-peer support. Also important were agreeing environmental outcome metrics and creating supportive policy and payments for so-called ecosystem services such as rebuilding biodiversity and water quality.

“Ethiopia…. has got an amazing payment for ecosystem service program,” said Prof. Crowther. Thousands of farmers are moving toward agroforestry and more regenerative practices, he said. 

Despite generating a third of global emissions, agrifoods got only 4% of climate investment according to a 2023 study by the Climate Policy Initiative, a private research think tank and advisory organization. Some options are loans or grants for new equipment, preferential insurance rates reflecting increased crop resilience or multiyear purchase contracts. 

Another complication for adoption is the more than $635 billion in explicit agricultural subsidies paid annually in 84 countries, nearly two-thirds of which are distorting and harmful to the environment, according to the World Bank. Redirecting these subsidies to foster regenerative methods is a political challenge.

Fourth-generation dairy farmer Ken McCarty uses regenerative practices in partnership with yogurt maker Danone on his family’s farm in Kansas. Photo: McCarty Family Farms

It is vital to reduce the risk to farmers. Fourth-generation dairyman Ken McCartyand his three brothers run three farms in northwest Kansas and a partnership dairy farm in west central Ohio. He uses regenerative practices on his farms in partnership with yogurt maker Danone.

“If I’m the generation that’s willing to or being asked to make the big bet, that makes me the generation that could potentially ruin the family business, right?” McCarty said, pointing to a general undercurrent of anxiety.

This is so even when some regenerative methods, like cover crops, are a return to the ways of generations past. “We laugh because my dad will go, ‘Well, I don’t really know why you’re worried about doing that—we did that in the 50s’,” McCarty said. 

Other methods are quite new. McCarty’s farm reduces water consumption by using soil-moisture probes and smart cow-cooling technologies and ups energy efficiency with electric tractors, LED lighting and variable speed motors. The longer-term, direct supply relationship with Danone has really changed the trajectory of his family’s farm, he said.

New smart technologies can also provide site-specific data to help farmers be more precise in irrigating, fertilizing and other steps in the agricultural cycle.

Duncanson appreciates that companies offer a choice of regenerative farming methods but said farmers need more technical assistance.

Jim Andrew, chief sustainability officer of PepsiCo, visits a corn farm in Nebraska. Photo: PepsiCo

Farming culture itself has also been a barrier to adoption. One Iowa farmer who had been using regenerative ag techniques for decades told Jim Andrew, chief sustainability officer for PepsiCo, that “the hardest thing is when I go to church on Sunday, and everybody looks—I know they’re whispering, ‘He’s not a good farmer because his field is dirty’.” Regenerative farming can involve leaving crop residues on the soil rather than tilling it under for a tidier looking field. 

Shifting that culture takes time. PepsiCo’s demonstration farm programs often include field days to bring farmers together in the hope that if they see the benefits of regenerative agriculture on land similar to theirs it can help overcome barriers to adoption.

Ashley McKeon, director of regenerative agriculture at global food company Cargill, has seen a big change in mindset in the past five years and said the engagement of major farming institutions like the American Farm Bureau Federation is the foundation you need to get to a tipping point. 

Cargill continues to use field days to bring farmers together: “The biggest thing is really just getting some to do it and then bringing their neighbors by to see it…like, ‘Hey, did you know Bob did this on his front 40 [acres]? You might want to take a look.’ And that kind of starts it,” she said. 

Rochelle Toplensky is a former bureau chief of WSJ Pro Sustainable Business. She is currently co-chief executive at Connected Impact, a sustainability data insights company.

The Event in Mindanao: On December 22, a comprehensive discussion was held, aimed at discussing deeper into the role of the community in Disaster Risk Reduction. This event was particularly significant given the recent series of shocks in Mindanao. Attendees, including community members, and church leaders, gathered at the FVR Alliance Church in Barangay Fatima to discuss strategies and structures for actions to be taken before, during, and after disasters.

A key component of this gathering was a Focus Group Discussion (FGD), designed to capture the community’s viewpoints on risk assessment, incorporating factors like hazards, exposure, and vulnerability. This FGD played a crucial role in understanding how communities perceive risks and their preparedness levels.

Outcomes and Insights: The insights from the FGD were instrumental in shaping future strategies to mitigate the impact of potential seismic shocks. The discussion highlighted the importance of direct engagement with community members to gather valuable information, enhancing disaster risk reduction efforts at the local level. A call was made for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and Barangay officials to join these discussions, emphasizing the theme, “It takes a community to Bounce Forward.”

Post-Event Reflections: Following the successful event in Mindanao, a post on the success of the discussion was shared (by the speaker Joshua Vidal). The post thanked FVR Alliance Church in GenSan, Mindanao, for hosting the conversation, and expressed hope for a more sustainable and resilient future. The discussion was not just an end in itself but a starting point for ongoing efforts in building community resilience.

Next Steps: As a follow-up to the event, lectures focusing on the synthesis and reflections from the discussion will be held at the Department of Science in Basic Education (DSBE) on January 3, 2024, in Imus, Cavite, Philippines. These lectures aim to further disseminate the knowledge and insights gained, and to continue the momentum in building a more prepared and resilient community in the face of disaster risks.

 Prepared, Not Scared: Imus Lecture Explores Multi-Dimensional Approach to Community Resilience

Following the insightful discussions and FGD held in Mindanao, the focus shifted to the educational sector with a special lecture at UCC Lounge-Science Department in Imus, Cavite. This event marked the first day of school, setting a tone of proactive learning and community engagement for the academic year.

The lecture titled “Community Resilience in the Face of Crisis: A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Community and Church Roles in Disaster Preparedness and Response” not only served as an academic forum for discussing the roles of different community sectors in disaster management but also included a segment dedicated to the “Key Aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).” This segment focused on four critical components:

The lecture pointed out that actions to reduce risks posed by climate variability are essential components of modern DRR strategies.

The inclusion of these key aspects aimed to provide students, and faculties with a holistic and strategic framework for understanding and engaging in disaster risk reduction, preparing them to contribute meaningfully to community resilience efforts in their future careers and civic engagements.

At COP28, Architecture 2030’s efforts will promote areas of untapped potential to reduce emissions in the built world:

BEYOND BUILDINGS: DECARBONIZATION’S NEXT FRONTIER Infrastructure, landscape, and urban planning offer untapped potential to reduce emissions and lean into nature.
INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE: SCALING UP LOW-CARBON TRADITIONS Heritage and indigenous building forms and materials provide carbon and equity benefits at scale.
EXISTING BUILDINGS: REUSE AS CLIMATE ACTION The greenest building is the one that is already built.
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS: ATTACKING EMBODIED CARBON Lower carbon, nature-based, and alternative building materials, right-sizing, and material efficiency radically decrease up-front embodied carbon.

2.  Tell us about your organization's collaborations

As an NGO, Architecture 2030 believes that radical collaboration is the path to meaningful, sustained change. That’s why collaborations with organizations like the Climate Heritage Network are so important. We also collaborate with a range of groups, from the UN Alliance for Buildings and Construction to the Carbon Leadership Forum to the American Society for Landscape Architects, to reach all aspects of the built environment.

3.  For how long has the ARCHITECTURE 2030 COP28 DELEGATION existed?

We have been developing our approach and delegation for COP28 since right after COP27. Our work on the COPs has been on going year-round since the early 2000s.

4.  Tell us about your personal reasons for joining the ARCHITECTURE 2030 COP28 DELEGATION

Buildings are so important to climate action, representing over 40% of global emissions, and yet they are so interconnected to every other part of society.

I came to COP28 to help bridge between the world of design and cultural heritage and other sectors and to learn about the pressing concerns and solutions happening in other cultures, places, and industries across the globe. Only through better collaboration will we be able to move forward toward a more equitable and resilient future.

5.  Tell us about where you went to school and the factors that led you to become an environmentalist architect, structural engineer, and conservator known for sustainable redevelopment of historic and existing buildings.

I went to MIT as an undergraduate to study architecture. From a young age, I loved old and historic places for their magical connection to people and cultures of the past. As I went through school, I realized that as an architect and building technologist, I was much more interested in stewardship - being one person of the many who contribute to the life of a building and all the people it touches over centuries - than I was in creating new things.

And For me, environmental performance is integral to the cultural aspect of buildings and the way our built environment connects to our natural environment, particularly in our current times when climate change is a defining part of our reality. 

I stayed on at MIT to study structural engineering for my masters because I wanted to understand more about how buildings worked. After licensure, I became a heritage consultant to focus my work on significant buildings, but quickly realized that conserving buildings doesn’t mean much if we lose them to climate change or other societal pressures.

This led me full circle back to architecture, where I have dedicated my practice and research to the sustainable reuse of existing and historic structures, including the development of data and tools to quantifiable demonstrate the critical climate importance of the existing built environment for a more resilient, equitable, and beautiful world.

6.  Your organization is located in Santa Fe, NM, USA, which has adobe style architecture (beautiful, especially the Taos buildings) and the Georgia O’Keefe Museum.  Are adobe style structures sustainable, and how?

Adobe has many sustainability attributes. It is locally, naturally occurring material requiring little processing, which makes it low carbon. It is durable and repairable by hand, lending itself to a long service life. It also has a high thermal mass, creating more comfortable indoor environments without the use of mechanical heating and cooling.

It is a good example of the Architecture 2030 priority of scaling up low-carbon traditions as an important key to the just transition ahead. Heritage and indigenous building forms and materials can inform human-centered, climate positive design at scale. 

7.  How do you PLAN, DESIGN, AND BUILD FOR sustainability?  Do you mix concepts from past architectural solutions with new technologies?

I believe that the best sustainability solutions are informed by the past. Before our current technology, we knew how to make buildings out of materials we could find locally, work by hand, and repair over time.

Architectural form and design were rooted in knowledge of the local climate to maximize human comfort with minimal energy. Building on and evolving this knowledge, we can integrate new technologies that are place-based, human-centered, and adaptive into new buildings.

Natural materials, like adobe, are a great example of this - there are many ways to integrate biomaterials through new technologies, for example, straw panels, timber structure, and hemp insulation, which are new forms of old technology.

I think we are at a very interesting moment in which the high-performance design community is “inventing” or rediscovering technology of the past to create zero emissions buildings. Passive design features, like overhangs to block direct sun in the summer or thermal chimneys to promote stack effect that cools by allowing hot air to rise through the building, are being seen much more often in contemporary architecture.

This also extends to high-tech solutions, like automated windows that are tied into a building management system to provide natural ventilation when the temperature, air quality, humidity, and other factors are conducive. These hybrid past-future approaches are leading to a new era of buildings.

However, I think we still have a ways to come in terms of remembering the human component of these strategies. While it may save energy and improve health and happiness to have open windows, if we don’t open and close them ourselves, we still have a real disconnect between indoor habitats and the environment - this is a fundamental issue with our built environment in developed areas of the world.

8.  Do you incorporate renewable energy solutions in your buildings?

Yes, the first strategy should always be efficiency - reduce demand for energy using passive strategies and through occupant behavior - but moving off of fossil fuels and using renewable electricity is key to zero emissions buildings for both old and new construction.

9.  What is your COP28 programming?

Architecture 2030 Programs at COP28

Exhibit | Buildings and Infrastructure as Core Climate Solutions
Friday-Sunday 1-3 December Booth 6, Blue Zone 

Market Transformation Activation – Preparing for Paris 2024
Session information and live stream here
Tuesday 2 December 16:00 – 17:00 Buildings Pavilion, Blue Zone

Enabling Circularity in the Built Environment
Session information and live stream here
Tuesday 5 December 15:00 – 16:00 Buildings Pavilion, Blue Zone

Driving Higher Education for Global Action
Tuesday 5 December 14:30 – 15:30 Thailand Pavilion, Blue Zone

Enhancing Urban Water Resilience through Nature Based Solutions in Public Places
Session information and register here
Tuesday 5 December 15:30-17:00 Water Pavilion, Blue Zone

Scaling Up Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Environments
Session information and live stream here
Wednesday 6 December 13:15 – 14:15 IUCN Pavilion, Blue Zone

Fifth Industrial Revolution & Closing the Carbon Loop
Session information and live stream here
Wednesday 6 December 15:00 – 16:30 Buildings Pavilion, Blue Zone

Nature-Based Solutions in the Built Environment
Wednesday 6 December 16:00 – 17:00 Thailand Pavilion, Blue Zone

Nature-Based Solutions & the Built Environment: Designing for Resilience, Drawdown & Biodiversity
Friday 8 December 16:00 – 17:00 UN Side Event, SE Room 9, Blue Zone

Footprint & Handprint: Building at the Nexus of Culture, Economy and Climate
Sunday 10 December 15:30 – 16:30 Thailand Pavilion, Blue Zone

10. How long have you been attending the COP?

Architecture 2030 has been attending COPs since the mid 2000s.
This is my third COP experience, but my first time attending in person. 

11. Anything else you would like to add

In order to protect our cultures and our buildings, we have to collaborate more. The cultural heritage community has so much knowledge to bring to the construction industry, and we need this knowledge deployed at scale to address the more than 220 billion square meters of buildings we already have and to accommodate projected growth. The crisis is urgent and the time is now to learn from and work closely together.

12. How can people get in touch with you?

LinkedIn.
ferriss@architecture2030.org

The intersection of technology, community, and sustainability offers a plethora of opportunities to innovate. We still live in an era where millions of people are under extreme poverty, lacking access to clean water, basic sanitation, electricity, internet, quality education, and healthcare.

Clearly, we need global solutions to tackle the grandest challenges facing our planet. So how can artificial intelligence (AI) assist in addressing key humanitarian and sustainable development challenges?

To begin with, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a collection of 17 global goals that aim to address pressing global challenges, achieve inclusive development, and foster peace and prosperity in a sustainable manner by 2030. AI enables the building of smart systems that imitate human intelligence to solve real-world problems.

Recent advancements in AI have radically changed the way we think, live, and collaborate. Our daily lives are centred around AI-powered solutions with smart speakers playing wakeup alarms, smart watches tracking steps in our morning walk, smart refrigerators recommending breakfast recipes, smart TVs providing personalised content recommendations, and navigation mobile apps recommending the best route based on real-time traffic. Clearly, the age of AI is here. How can we leverage this transformative technology to amplify the impact for social good?

Accelerating AI-powered social innovations

AI core capabilities like machine learning (ML), computer vision, natural language understanding, and speech recognition offer new approaches to address humanitarian challenges and amplify the positive impact on underserved communities. ML enables machines to process massive amounts of data, interconnect underlying patterns, and derive meaningful insights for decision making. ML techniques like deep learning offer the powerful capability to create sophisticated AI models based on artificial neural networks.

Such models can be used for numerous real-world situations, like pandemic forecasting. AI tools can model and predict the spread of outbreaks like Covid-19 in low-resource settings using recent outbreak trends, treatment data, and travel history. This will help governmental and healthcare agencies to identify high-risk areas, manage demand and supply of essential medical supplies, and formulate localised remedial measures to control an outbreak.

Computer vision techniques process visual information in digital images and videos to generate valuable inference. Trained AI models assist medical practitioners to examine clinical images and identify hidden patterns of malignant tumors supporting expediated decision-making and a treatment plan for patients. Most recently, smart speakers have extended their conversational AI capabilities for healthcare use cases like chronic illness management, prescription ordering, and urgent-care appointments.

This advancement opens up the possibility to drive healthcare innovations that will break down access barriers and deliver quality healthcare to a marginalised population. Similarly, global educational programs aimed to connect the digitally unconnected can leverage satellite images and ML algorithms to map school locations. AI-powered learning products are increasingly launched to provide personalised experiences to train young children in math and science.

The convergence of AI with the Internet of Things (IoT) facilitates rapid development of meaningful solutions for agriculture to monitor soil health, assess crop damage, and optimise use of pesticides. This empowers local farmers to model different scenarios and choose the right crop that is likely to maximise the quality and yield, and it contributes toward zero hunger and economic empowerment SDGs.

Decoding best program practices

To deliver high social impact, AI-driven humanitarian programs should follow a “bottom-up” approach. One should always work backwards from needs of the end-user, drive clarity on the targeted community/user, their major pain points, the opportunity to innovate, and expected user experience.

Most importantly, always check whether AI is relevant to the problem at hand or investigate if a meaningful alternative approach exists. Understand how an AI-powered solution will deliver value to various stakeholders involved and positively contribute toward achieving SDG for local communities. Define a suite of metrics to measure various dimensions of program success. Data acquisition is central to building robust AI models that require access to meaningful and quality data.

Delivering effective AI solutions to the humanitarian landscape requires a clear understanding of the data required and relevant sources to acquire them. For instance, satellite images, electronic health records, census data, educational records, and public datasets are used to solve problems in education, healthcare, and climate change. Partnership with key field players is important for addressing data gaps for domains with sparsely available data.

Responsible use of AI in humanitarian programs can be achieved by enforcing standards and best practices to implement fairness, inclusiveness, security, and privacy controls. Always check models and datasets for bias and negative experiences. Techniques like data visualisation and clustering can evaluate a dataset’s distribution for fair representation of various stakeholders’ dimensions. Routine updates to training and testing datasets is essential to fairly account for diversity in users’ growing needs and usage patterns. Safeguard sensitive user information by implementing privacy controls like encrypting user data at rest and in transit, limit access to user data and critical production systems based on least-privilege access control, and enforce data retention and deletion policy on user datasets. Implement a robust threat model to handle possible system attacks and routine checks on infrastructure security vulnerabilities.

To conclude, AI-powered humanitarian programs offer a transformative opportunity to advance social innovations and build a better tomorrow for the benefit of humanity.

Before we proceed, let's get into more detail about the consequences of fast fashion.

Characterized by rapid production cycles and low-priced garments, it has profound environmental and social impacts. Environmentally, it's a major contributor to waste, with millions of tons of unsold or discarded clothing ending up in landfills annually. The industry is also a significant water polluter, often releasing untreated toxic wastewater into rivers. 

Socially, fast fashion has been linked to exploitative labor practices, with workers in developing countries often facing poor working conditions, low wages, and limited rights. The emphasis on speed and low costs has overshadowed the importance of sustainability and ethical practices. As a result, the industry’s long-term viability and morality are being challenged. 

Green Fabric Breakthroughs

Fortunately, there are eco-friendly textile advancements that may provide a way out of our fast-fashion conundrum. Let’s explore each of these. 

1. Piñatex: The Pineapple Revolution

A leather alternative created from the fibers of pineapple leaves, Piñatex has started to make its mark. While traditional leather production is resource-intensive and relies on animal farming, Piñatex offers a cruelty-free, low-environmental-impact option.  Ananas Anam, the company behind Piñatex, has taken pineapple fibers, a by-product of the fruit industry. The firm then transformed these into a durable, biodegradable material that looks and feels astonishingly like leather.

2. Mycelium Leather: Nature's Own Laboratory

Mycelium, the root system of fungi, is another revolutionary textile taking the fashion world by storm. Companies like MycoWorks are harnessing the potential of mycelium to create customizable, biodegradable leather-like materials. These textiles are grown in controlled environments and require a fraction of the resources used in animal leather production. Additionally, they can be tailored to achieve different textures and finishes.

3. Spider Silk: Strength and Elegance Combined

Spider silk, famed for its incredible strength-to-weight ratio, has fascinated scientists for years. Brands like Bolt Threads have tapped into this potential by bioengineering yeast, bacteria, and other microorganisms to produce silk proteins. The result is Microsilk. This is a biodegradable fiber with the softness of silk and the resilience of synthetics without the hefty carbon footprint of traditional silk farming.

4. Algae-Based Textiles: From Water to Wardrobe

Algae, one of nature's most prolific organisms, is not just an aquatic marvel but a potential cornerstone for sustainable fashion. Companies like AlgiKnit  are producing bio-yarns from kelp, a type of seaweed. These yarns can be knitted or woven into fabrics, providing a renewable source material that decomposes naturally, reducing the proliferation of textile waste.

5. Lab-Grown Cotton: Beyond the Fields

Cotton farming is notoriously water-intensive. Modern Meadow, leveraging cellular agriculture, is exploring lab-grown cotton. By cultivating cotton cells in a lab, the production eliminates the need for vast tracts of land, pesticides, and extensive water use. The resultant fabric has the potential to match traditionally farmed cotton in every respect—except for its environmental toll.

6. Recycled Fibers: Breathing New Life into Waste

The concept of recycling is not new, but the techniques and efficiency have seen remarkable evolution. Companies like Evrnu and Repreve are converting post-consumer waste, particularly plastic bottles, into high-quality, recycled polyester fibers. These fibers, almost indistinguishable from virgin polyester, offer a second life to plastics that would otherwise pollute landscapes and oceans.

The Ripple Effect: Broader Impacts of Sustainable Textiles

Beyond the direct environmental benefits, the shift towards eco-friendly textiles holds promise for broader societal impacts. Sustainable farming practices for materials like organic cotton or flax for linen can provide better yields and livelihoods for farmers. Equally important is the fact that these don't pose the health risks associated with pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.

Additionally, as these innovations reduce the dependence on petroleum-based textiles, such as traditional polyester, the fashion industry could play a role in diminishing the global reliance on fossil fuels.

Challenges and the Road Ahead

While the innovations are promising, challenges remain. Scale is a significant one. The infrastructure for fast fashion, built over decades, is vast and entrenched. Eco-friendly alternatives currently occupy niche markets, often with price points inaccessible to the average consumer. Scaling up production, driving down costs, and fostering consumer awareness and demand are crucial steps to mainstream these innovations.

Also, as with all new technologies, rigorous testing and scrutiny are essential to ensure that these alternatives don't introduce new environmental or health issues. For example, while a textile might be biodegradable, understanding its decomposition rate and the conditions under which it breaks down is vital to ensure it doesn't contribute to microfiber pollution.

Tailoring Tomorrow: The Fabric of Change 

Biotechnology, sustainability, and fashion are merging. This blend marks a time when attire mirrors our eco-commitment, not just personal style. Still, there's much to tackle in addressing the vast amounts of unsustainable textiles made each year. Yet, these innovations hint at a future. In this vision, fashion and eco-responsibility are inseparable partners. Consumers, designers, and industries are warming up to sustainable choices. With each step, we move closer to applauding fashion not just for its aesthetics but also its harmonious co-existence with our planet.

Getting rid of these gases isn’t as simple as turning on an air purifier or opening a window on a clear day.

In a new study published in the journal Science Advances, colleagues and I tracked the life of these gases in a home exposed to wildfire smoke. We also found that the best way to get rid of the risk is among the simplest: start cleaning.

The challenge of smoke particles and gases

In December 2021, several of my friends and colleagues were affected by the Marshall Fire that burned about 1,000 homes in Boulder County, Colorado. The “lucky” ones, whose homes were still standing, asked me what they should do to clean their houses. I am an atmospheric and indoor chemist, so I started looking into the published research, but I found very few studies on what happens after a building is exposed to smoke.

What scientists did know was that smoke particles end up on indoor surfaces – floors, walls, ceilings. We knew that air filters could remove particles from the air. And colleagues and I were just beginning to understand that volatile organic compounds, which are traditionally thought to stay in the air, could actually stick to surfaces inside a home and build up reservoirs – invisible pools of organic molecules that can contribute to the air chemistry inside the house.

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are compounds that easily become gases at room temperature. They include everything from limonene in lemons to benzene in gasoline. VOCs aren’t always hazardous to human health, but many VOCs in smoke are. I started to wonder whether the VOCs in wildfire smoke could also stick to the surfaces of a house.

Tracking lingering risks in a test house

I worked with researchers from across the U.S. and Canada to explore this problem during the Chemical Assessment of Surfaces and Air, or CASA, study in 2022. We built on HOMEChem, a previous study in which we looked at how cooking, cleaning and occupancy could change indoor air.

In CASA, we studied what happens when pollutants and chemicals get inside our homes – pesticides, smog and even wood smoke.

Using a cocktail smoker and wood chips, we created a surprisingly chemically accurate proxy for wildfire smoke and released small doses into a test house built by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIST’s house allowed us to conduct controlled chemistry experiments in a real-world setting.

We even aged the smoke in a large bag with ozone to simulate what happens when smoke travels long distances, like the smoke from Canadian wildfires that moved into the U.S. in the summer of 2023. Smoke chemistry changes as it travels: Particles become more oxidized and brown, while VOCs break down and the smoke loses its distinctive smell.

How VOCs behave in your home

What we found in CASA was intriguing. While smoke particles quickly settled on indoor surfaces, VOCs were more insidious.

At first, the house took up these smoke VOCs – on floors, walls and building surfaces. But once the initial smoke cleared, the house would slowly release those VOCs back out over the next hours, days or even months, depending on the type of VOC.

This release is what we call a partitioning process: During the smoke event, individual VOC molecules in the air attach to indoor surfaces with weak chemical bonds. The process is called adsorption. As smoke clears and the air cleans out, the bonds can break, and molecules “desorb” back out into the air.

We could watch this partitioning happen in the air by measuring smoke VOC concentrations. On surfaces, we could measure the weight of smoke VOCs that deposited on very sensitive balances and then were slowly released.

Overall, we concluded that this surface reservoir allows smoke VOCs to linger indoors, meaning that people are exposed to them not just during the major smoke event but also long after.

Why worry about VOCs?

Smoke VOCs include well-known carcinogens, and high levels of exposure can induce respiratory and health problems.

While smoke VOC concentrations in our test house decreased with time, they remained persistently elevated above normal levels.

Given that VOC concentrations from other sources, such as cooking and cleaning, can already be high enough in homes to harm health, this additional long-term exposure source from smoke could be important. Further toxicology studies will be needed to determine the significance of its health effects.

How to clean up when smoke gets in

So, what can you do to remove these lingering smoke gases?

We found that air purifiers can remove only some of the VOCs that are in the air – they can’t clean the VOCs on your floors or in your walls. They also work only when they’re running, and even then, air purifiers don’t work particularly well to reduce VOCs.

Opening windows to ventilate will clean the air, if it isn’t smoggy or smoky outside. But as soon as we closed windows and doors, smoke VOCs started to bleed off the surface reservoirs and into the air again, resulting in an elevated, near-constant concentration.

We realized that to permanently remove those smoke VOCs, we had to physically remove them from surfaces.

The good news is that cleaning surfaces by vacuuming, dusting and mopping with a commercial, nonbleach solution did the trick. While some remediation companies may do this surface cleaning for you after extreme exposures, surface cleaning after any smoke event – like Canadian wildfire smoke drifting into homes in 2023 – should effectively and permanently reduced smoke VOC levels indoors.

Of course, we could reach only a certain number of surfaces – it’s hard to vacuum the ceiling! That meant that surface cleaning improved but didn’t eliminate smoke VOC levels in the house. But our study at least provides a path forward for cleaning indoor spaces affected by air pollutants, whether from wildfires, chemical spills or other events.

With wildfires becoming more frequent, surface cleaning can be an easy, cheap and effective way to improve indoor air quality.

Robert Shobe’s lungs tell a different story.

Like a lot of Detroiters, Shobe suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD, a long-term lung ailment that flares up when the air is smoggy or smokey. On those days, Shobe said: “I probably am low on energy, and I feel like I’m seeing a haze in the air.”

Traffic, industrial sources and meteorological conditions often worsen pollution in his part of town. One of Shobe’s closest neighbors is the Stellantis Mack Assembly Plant, where Jeep Wagoneers roll off the line. Since opening a paint shop on the property just over two years ago, it has racked up eight air pollution violations and fines.

So Shobe was baffled when he heard in May 2023 that Detroit had three years of clean air data, and that according to the EPA, the region met strict federal air-quality standards.

Regulators for Wayne county, where Detroit is located, accomplished that feat by removing two of the highest-ozone days from their calculations. They could do that because they had identified a surprising source of dirty air: wildfires burning across the border, in other states and in Canada.

Using a little-known loophole in the Clean Air Act, the Michigan environment, Great Lakes and energy department had made the case to the EPA that pollution on those days stemmed from an exceptional event, defined as something uncontrollable, unlikely to recur and, often, natural: wildfires.

The “exceptional events rule” allows the EPA to strike pollution caused by these events from the record, allowing regulators to meet clean-air goals on paper, without forcing local industry to comply with tighter pollution controls.

In Michigan, a regulator referred to the process as a “magic wand”.

That wand is regularly, if quietly, being waved. An investigation by The California Newsroom, MuckRock and the Guardian found that state and local air-quality managers across the US increasingly rely on the rule to meet air-quality goals because of wildfires.

A review of federal data, as well as thousands of pages of regulatory records, shows that at least 21 million people, including in Michigan, now live and breathe in areas where the EPA has forgiven pollution from at least one “exceptional event”, often a wildfire, since the law took effect. Public contracts and correspondence also reveal how local governments have spent millions in taxpayer dollars to seek forgiveness for pollution related to “exceptional events”, helped at times by industry lobbyists, who pushed for the expansion of the loophole in the Clean Air Act.

From the mountain west to the Rust Belt and into the south, utility, energy and business advocates have worked to promote the rule’s use, aiming to avoid costly emission controls.

It isn’t just industry that benefits, said John Walke, a lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council. The non-profit environmental advocacy organization has sued the EPA over its interpretation of the rule. “Loopholes and exceptions [like this one] are treated as get-out-of-jail-free cards for politicians who are balancing economic activities and development with the need for clean air and public health,” he said.

In and out of limbo

Square — the financial services giant known for its small point-of-sale systems — has listed Good Fortune Barbershop in its top five businesses prioritizing sustainability.

The barbershop is a finalist in Square’s inaugural awards, Square 50, which highlights 50 businesses across the globe. Square 50 encompasses 10 categories, including sustainability; people can vote for their favourite business in each category.

Good Fortune Barbershop is the only nominee from Winnipeg and one of seven in Canada.

“It feels awesome,” said Sam Rivait, co-owner of Good Fortune. “We are small, so our impact can only be so big, but I do feel like we try really hard.”

The South Osborne shop houses five barber chairs. Clients coming and going from those chairs accumulated, collectively, around 250 pounds of hair last year.

This year, the number will be closer to 500 pounds — there are more barbers, Rivait said. Good Fortune Barbershop recycles hair through Green Circle Salons, an organization dedicated to recycling and reclaiming barbershop and hair salon waste.

“I see that we are creating waste,” noted Rivait, 33. “I think it’s irresponsible to not be doing what you can to make sure you’re not making the planet worse.”

The business pays to recycle its customers’ hair. It bakes the roughly $1 fee into patrons’ bills.

When Rivait is not shaving locks, she might be planning a community cleanup — Good Fortune hosts an annual event drawing about 100 volunteers.

Rivait drew inspiration from West Broadway, where she had seen similar community cleanups.

“Once the snow melts, there’s just garbage everywhere. I kind of just tell volunteers, pay attention to the river walk, any bus routes, back lanes,” Rivait said.

She and co-owner Cait Bousfield have scoured for environmentally friendly cleaning products to use in the shop and stock hair-care products that are not tested on animals.

The owners wouldn’t have started a business without incorporating green-centred actions, Rivait said.

“We only have one planet. It’s so frustrating sometimes for me to see when people don’t care,” she said.

“There’s no going back from the damage that we cause.”

However, it’s often more work to make environmentally conscious choices, and it’s usually not cheap, Rivait relayed.

“It is hard to be put in positions sometimes where you’re like, ‘Well, this more sustainable decision is going to cost twice as much money,’ especially as a small business,” she said.

She wishes there were more incentives for Manitoba businesses to make green choices.

She would like to retrofit the South Osborne barbershop, but cost is a barrier.

“So many businesses are challenged on so many fronts — higher costs, labour challenges, recovering from COVID,” said Derek Earl, president of the non-profit BizforClimate. “As important as (saving the environment) is, it becomes another thing they have to learn and invest in.”

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

‘So many businesses are challenged on so many fronts — higher costs, labour challenges, recovering from COVID. As important as (saving the environment) is, it becomes another thing they have to learn and invest in’ — Derek Earl, president of BizforClimate

Manitoba businesses signing BizforClimate’s pledge show they want local politicians to prioritize action to limit global warming.

Nearly 170 companies have signed.

“This is our long-term competitiveness. This is about the economy that’s going to take us into the future,” Earl said. “Investors are looking for low emissions … companies (are) going to locate in cleaner jurisdictions.

“We should try to be on the forefront.”

There are local green incentives available, such as Efficiency Manitoba rebates, Earl noted. Still, BizforClimate signatories have indicated they believe more incentives would help.

A clear picture from government on Manitoba’s direction toward net zero emissions would also be useful, Earl said.

“There are quite a number of resources out there,” he added, highlighting BizforClimate and Manitoba Chambers of Commerce online toolkits. “(But) there is a clear need for some ongoing training and ways we can make it easier for business.”

Square chose Good Fortune Barbershop as one of its top five sustainability focused businesses by using first-party data and insights, Saumil Mehta, Square’s head of point of sale and omnichannel, wrote in an email.

Good Fortune joins businesses in the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan and France being recognized for “putting the planet first and prioritizing sustainability in their operations in remarkable ways,” Mehta wrote.

Each company is a source of inspiration to staff and customers, he added.

“We really love to see local businesses like Good Fortune setting the example for what it means to be a leader while also aligning the owners’ core values with how their business operates in Winnipeg,” Mehta stated.

Good Fortune Barbershop uses Square and has tested the corporation’s prototypes in the past, Rivait said. The Manitoba entrepreneurs didn’t apply for Square 50.

Square began Square 50 this year to celebrate resilient businesses who have faced unique challenges over the years, according to Mehta.

People can vote for their favourite business in each of the 10 categories. Voting is open at squareup.com and closes Oct. 24 at 3 a.m. CT. Winners, to be announced on Nov. 15, receive Square equipment.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com

Ø Introduction: What is it? (SDG goal 11 sustainable cities and communities)

There needs to be a future in which cities provide opportunities for all, with access to all basic services, energy, housing, transportation and more. And this goal will help us achieve it.

Ø Main Goal:  Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Goal 11 is about making cities and human settlements inclusive and safe.

([Source] https://www.velatia.com/)

Ø Countries that are Taking action on SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities):

v Stockholm (capital of Sweden): 1,000 Stockholmers die a year from air pollution. Sweden’s capital is banning petrol and diesel cars in its city center to reduce pollution and slash emissions. The new rules will come into force on 31 December 2024. “In Stockholm, everyone should be able to breathe the air without getting sick,” traffic councilor and MP Lars Strongmen wrote on X – formerly twitter. He goes on to envision a city with “outdoor seating and plenty of space for walking and cycling”. This marks the first time the country has introduced such strict environmental rules for vehicles.

([Source] https://www.euronews.com/)

v UAE (United Arab Emirates):

The Minister said: “As the world becomes more urbanized, SDG11 is gaining a paramount importance and is sitting at the heart of the SDGs’’. In the UAE, we are successfully transitioning towards sustainable cities with a multipronged approach that includes using advanced technologies such as city digital twins for spatial planning, integrating artificial intelligence (AI) to achieve high city sustainability and livability standards, promoting sustainable and smart mobility solutions, building resilient infrastructure, reducing energy and water consumption, and meeting our net-zero target by 2050. ([Source] https://www.digitaldubai.ae/)

v U.S (United States Of America)

On behalf of the American people, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) leads the U.S. Government's international development and disaster assistance through partnerships and investments that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises and progress beyond assistance – efforts that directly contribute to advancing progress toward achieving the SDG 11.

These are a few examples of Countries that are taking action on SDG 11.

([Source] https://www.usaid.gov/)

Ø Targets

11.1 By 2030, ensure access for all too adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums

11.2 By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons

11.3 By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries

11.4 Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage

11.5 By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths caused and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations

11.6 By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management

11.7 By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.

([Source]https://www.velatia.com/)

Ø Conclusion:

Ø      "In conclusion, SDG 11, which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, is a vital component of the global agenda for a better future. As our world becomes increasingly urbanized, the need for well-planned, eco-friendly, and socially inclusive cities is more evident than ever. Achieving this goal will not only enhance the quality of life for millions but also contribute to addressing various interconnected challenges, from climate change to inequality.With continued efforts and commitment, we can pave the way for a brighter and more sustainable urban future."

Sources:

     https://www.euronews.com/ https://www.digitaldubai.ae/   https://www.usaid.gov/  https://www.velatia.com/

The dominance of parking has devastated once-vibrant downtowns by turning large areas into uninviting paved spaces that contribute to urban heating and stormwater runoff. It has driven up housing costs, since developers pass on the cost of providing parking to tenants and homebuyers. And it has perpetuated people’s reliance on driving by making walking, biking and public transit far less attractive, even for the shortest trips.

Why, then, does the U.S. have so much of it?

For decades, cities have required developers to provide a set number of parking spaces for their tenants or customers. And while many people still rely on parking, the amount required is typically far more than most buildings need.

Columbus, Ohio, pioneered this strategy 100 years ago, and by the middle of the 20th century minimum parking requirements were the norm nationwide. The thinking was straightforward: As driving became more common, buildings without enough parking would clog up the streets and wreak havoc on surrounding communities.

Today, however, more urban planners and policymakers acknowledge that this policy is narrowly focused and shortsighted. As a data scientist who studies urban transportation, I focused my earliest research on this topic, and it shaped how I think about cities and towns today.

It’s encouraging to see cities rethinking minimum parking requirements – but while this is an important reform, urban leaders can do even more to loosen parking’s grip on our downtowns.

Eliminating parking requirements

Despite research and guidance from the Institute of Transportation Engineers, it is extremely difficult to predict parking demand, especially in downtown areas. As a result, for years many cities set the highest possible targets. This led to excess parking that is vastly underused, even in areas with perceived shortages.

In 2017, Buffalo, New York, became the first large U.S. city to eliminate its minimum parking requirement as part of its first major overhaul of zoning laws in more than 60 years. This shift has breathed new life into downtown Buffalo by spurring redevelopment of vacant lots and storefronts. Researchers estimate that more than two-thirds of newly built homes there would have been illegal before the policy change because they would not have met the earlier standards.

In the same year, Hartford, Connecticut, followed Buffalo’s lead and eliminated mandatory parking minimums citywide. Communities including Minneapolis; Raleigh, North Carolina; and San Jose, California, have since taken similar steps.

Tony Jordan, president of the nonprofit Parking Reform Network, has argued that once cities stop mandating specific levels of private parking, leaders need to be more thoughtful about how they manage public curbside parking and spend the revenues that it generates. Some communities have implemented maximum parking allowances to ensure that developers and their investors don’t add to the glut.

Reducing reliance on cars

Parking mandates aren’t the only lever that city officials can use to make their downtowns less car-centric. Some local governments are now asking developers to help reduce overall traffic levels by investing in improvements like sidewalks, bike storage and transit passes.

This approach is typically called transportation demand management, or modern mitigation. It still leverages private investment to serve the public good but without a singular focus on parking.

And unlike parking requirements, this strategy helps connect buildings to their surrounding communities. As urban planning scholar Kristina Currans explained to me in an interview, traditional parking requirements ask developers to fend for themselves. In contrast, transportation demand management policies require them to consider the surrounding context, integrate their projects into it and help cities function more efficiently.

This approach dates back at least to 1998, when Cambridge, Massachusetts, introduced a policy requiring developers to produce a transportation demand management plan whenever they add new parking. That policy has now outlived the city’s minimum parking requirements, which Cambridge eliminated for all residential uses in 2022.

Newer policies tend to incorporate point systems or calculators that link different strategies directly to their potential impact on car use. These tools are common in cities across California, where state law now requires city planners to evaluate how much new car use each new development will generate and take steps to limit the impact. Policies such as charging users directly for parking spots or offering employees cash in exchange for giving up their spot are among the most effective.

Lessons from Madison

The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s State Smart Transportation Initiative, which I direct, along with UW’s Mayors Innovation Project, has outlined policies like these in a guidebased on our earlier work with the city of Los Angeles. We recently collaborated on a new transportation demand management program in Madison.

This program initially faced some pushback from developers, but their input ultimately made it better. It passed the city’s Common Council unanimously in December 2022.

For their projects to be approved, developers now must earn a certain number of traffic mitigation points based on how large their project is and how many parking stalls they propose to include with it. For example, providing information to visitors and tenants about different travel options earns one point; providing secure bike storage earns two points; offering on-site child care earns four points; and charging market-rate parking fees is worth 10 points. Scaling back planned parking can reduce the number of points they need to earn in the first place.

While parking is no longer required in many parts of Madison, this new policy adds a layer of accountability to ensure that developers provide access to multiple transportation options in environmentally responsible ways. As urban leaders look for meaningful opportunities to reduce their cities’ contributions to climate change, we may soon see other cities following suit.

Stanford Natural Capital Project

As countries in the Persian Gulf feud over lucrative petroleum reservoirs that will increase greenhouse gas emissions, wildfires have ravaged Algeria and Tunisia.

Nonetheless, bright spots have emerged in a few of the more news-averse corners of the Middle East. Oman, a sultanate with a strong record on environmental protection, is redoubling its commitment to renewable energy and innovation.

"The smart city will incorporate solar power and water recycling as well as electric vehicles and waste-to-energy plants"

CNN reported on August 17 that the sultanate intends to establish an eco-friendly smart city near the Omani capital of Muscat under the name “Sultan Haitham City.” The CNN article cited a plan drawn up by the American architectural firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, also known as “SOM.” According to the SOM document, Sultan Haitham City will house 100,000 people in 20,000 homes spread over 19 neighbourhoods and 14.8 square kilometres.

The SOM plan places at the forefront many of the features that will integrate Sultan Haitham City into Oman’s wider campaign to transition to renewable energy.

The smart city will incorporate solar power and water recycling as well as electric vehicles and waste-to-energy plants. A SOM executive also told CNN that Sultan Haitham City will employ technology to “monitor environmental factors such as air quality and water management,” a key component of the architectural firm’s ambitious blueprint for a project with a minimal “ecological footprint.”

Much about Sultan Haitham City remains up in the air or will require years to put into action. SOM’s plan indicates that the initial stage of development will take until the end of the decade, with the completion of the project set for 2045.

At the same time, SOM offered little detail on the percentage of the smart city’s energy consumption covered by renewable resources. The architectural firm only made a passing reference to Oman’s wider goal of meeting 30 percent of its needs with renewable energy by 2030, well before Sultan Haitham City reaches full capacity.

The extended timeline and vague metrics leave Oman well behind its neighbors. Saudi Arabia announced plans for its better-known smart city, Neom, six years ago. The $500 billion Saudi project will derive all its electricity from renewable energy, will host 9 million people, and hoped to wrap up its first phase by 2025—though it has since run into delays.

The United Arab Emirates has trumpeted its well-received efforts to convert Abu Dhabi and Dubai into smart cities with projects such as Masdar City, which the country calls “the first attempt in the Middle East to build a sustainable city.”

This year, the International Institute for Management Development gave Abu Dhabi the highest ranking of any city in the Middle East and North Africa in its annual “Smart City Index” report. Except for Dubai, no other city in the region reached the top 20. Muscat ranked 96th, compared to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, at 30th.

This disparity derives from a simple economic reality: Oman has fewer petroleum reservoirs than Saudi Arabia and the UAE, meaning less money, and will exhaust its supply sooner. Oman produced 1.064 million barrels of oil a day in 2022, versus 4.02 million for the UAE and 12.136 million for Saudi Arabia, according to a report released earlier this year by the Energy Institute.

With less oil to pump, Oman’s attempt to escape the resource curse becomes that much more urgent. Sultan Haitham City falls under the umbrella of Oman Vision 2040, a development plan mapping the sultanate’s ambition to move away from its reliance on the petroleum industry and plot a future rooted in economic diversity and sustainability.

A “vision document” outlining the development plan notes, “The future strategy in natural resource management will focus on developing nontraditional sources of natural resources, such as the use of renewable energy to reduce production cost and subsequently enhance the competitiveness of economic sectors.”

The Oman Vision 2040 document emphasizes the importance of bracing urban areas for “climate change effects,” an issue that Omani officials have put front and centre. In July, Oman’s foreign minister stressed the requirement for “more action” on climate change during a visit to Italy, lamenting, “But still the world is moving far too slowly.”

SOM factored the side effects of climate change into its plan. The design of Sultan Haitham City prioritizes materials that create shade and encourage ventilation, crucial in a country where temperatures reached 50 degrees Celsius this summer. The smart city will also feature a dry river to absorb floods, which have grown more common in recent decades.

Oman has found a capable partner in SOM, whose August 22 press release called Sultan Haitham City “a new model for sustainable development.” The architectural firm designed Dubai’s best-known tourist attraction, the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

Though Sultan Haitham City seems unlikely to achieve a similar level of fame, the smart city showcases to the world Oman’s commitment to sustainable development—or it will, in 2045.