Welcome to the front lines of climate change – Atlantic Council

Report on Urban Decarbonization and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

Cities are at the epicenter of the global climate crisis, accounting for approximately 75% of global energy consumption and 70% of carbon dioxide emissions. As hubs of population, economic activity, and innovation, they are also uniquely positioned to lead the transition towards a sustainable future. This report analyzes the critical role of urban centers in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). It outlines key sectors for decarbonization and highlights global case studies demonstrating how targeted urban policies can advance multiple SDGs simultaneously, fostering resilience, equity, and prosperity.

The Urban Imperative for Achieving the 2030 Agenda

The global effort to mitigate climate change and achieve sustainable development will be determined by the actions taken within the world’s cities. With urban populations projected to reach 6.7 billion by 2050, transforming how cities function is paramount. The success of the Paris Agreement and the broader 2030 Agenda hinges on leveraging cities as primary agents of change.

Cities as Key Actors in Climate Governance

While international climate negotiations are conducted at the national level, cities often demonstrate greater ambition and agility in policy implementation. This dynamic positions them as crucial partners in fulfilling national commitments and advancing global goals.

• Policy Innovation: Cities serve as laboratories for policy experimentation, frequently setting higher standards for sustainability than their national governments. A 2022 OECD survey found that 88% of cities and regions mandate higher energy standards in buildings than national requirements, directly contributing to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13.
• Economic Engines for Green Growth: As centers of wealth creation, cities can drive investment in green technologies and infrastructure, aligning economic development (SDG 8) with environmental sustainability. Decarbonization strategies enhance urban livability and competitiveness, attracting talent and investment.
• Multi-Level Partnerships: Effective climate action requires synergy between local and national governments. National frameworks can provide funding and set minimum standards, while empowering cities to innovate and tailor solutions to local contexts, embodying the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Strategic Sectors for Urban Decarbonization and SDG Integration

Urban decarbonization efforts can be categorized into five priority sectors. Progress in these areas yields co-benefits across numerous SDGs, including SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 11, SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13.

1. Electricity: Transitioning urban power grids to renewable sources is fundamental. Initiatives like Melbourne’s neighborhood battery system, which stores and distributes renewable energy, advance SDG 7 by improving access to clean and reliable power.
2. Buildings: Accounting for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, the building sector is a critical target. New York City’s Local Law 97 mandates retrofits for energy efficiency, setting a global precedent for reducing the carbon footprint of urban infrastructure in line with SDG 11.
3. Transportation: Promoting sustainable mobility reduces emissions and improves public health. Paris’s “Plan Vélo” encourages cycling, while Curitiba’s pioneering Bus Rapid Transit system enhances access to public transport, contributing to SDG 11.2 (access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems) and SDG 3.
4. Waste: Shifting towards a circular economy minimizes landfill emissions. Cape Town’s waste-to-energy projects reduce methane releases while generating clean energy, directly addressing targets within SDG 11 and SDG 12.
5. Carbon Sinks and Offsets: Expanding urban green infrastructure enhances climate resilience and biodiversity. Medellín’s “green corridors” use trees and vegetation to cool the city, mitigating extreme heat events and contributing to SDG 11.7 (universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Global Case Studies: Cities Leading on the SDGs

Cities worldwide are implementing innovative strategies that demonstrate the interconnectedness of the Sustainable Development Goals.

• Tokyo, Japan: The city’s mandatory cap-and-trade program for major emitters is a market-based mechanism that directly supports SDG 13 by placing a price on carbon.
• Valencia, Spain: A comprehensive decarbonization agenda integrates renewable energy, green infrastructure, and sustainable mobility to enhance livability, demonstrating a holistic approach to SDG 11 and SDG 13.
• Rotterdam, Netherlands: The Rotterdam Climate Agreement, developed through collaboration between industry, government, and civil society, exemplifies SDG 17 in action to achieve ambitious emissions reduction targets.
• Cleveland, USA: By building a decarbonization strategy that is inclusive of historically marginalized communities, Cleveland’s approach actively promotes SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) alongside its climate goals.

The Power of Partnerships: Urban Networks and Global Governance

Fostering Collaboration through Intercity Networks

Cities are not acting in isolation. Transnational city networks have emerged as a powerful force in global governance, facilitating the achievement of the SDGs.

• Knowledge Sharing: Organizations like C40 Cities, ICLEI, and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy enable cities to share best practices and scale up successful solutions.
• Collective Voice: These networks amplify the collective influence of cities in international forums, such as the UN climate summits, ensuring local perspectives inform global policy.
• A Cooperative Model: Unlike nation-states, which can be constrained by geopolitical competition, cities often engage in pragmatic, cooperative problem-solving across borders, creating a stable architecture for progress on shared challenges like climate change, in the spirit of SDG 17.

Conclusion: A Call to Empower Cities for a Sustainable Future

The battle for a sustainable and climate-resilient future will be won or lost in cities. Urban centers have demonstrated the willingness and capacity to innovate in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals. Their efforts in decarbonization deliver a multitude of co-benefits, from improved public health and economic competitiveness to greater social equity. To unlock their full potential, national governments and international institutions must recognize cities as indispensable partners, providing them with the fiscal autonomy and political influence needed to lead the global transition. Supporting urban action is not merely a local issue; it is a prerequisite for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on a global scale.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The article discusses the need for cities to transition away from fossil fuels in electricity generation. It highlights examples like Melbourne’s neighborhood battery system for storing renewable energy and Cape Town’s waste-to-energy plants, directly addressing the shift towards cleaner energy sources and efficiency.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The focus on retrofitting existing buildings to be more energy-efficient (as in New York’s Local Law 97), developing sustainable infrastructure like bus rapid transit (Curitiba), and creating green corridors (Medellín) aligns with the goal of building resilient and sustainable infrastructure.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  This is the central SDG of the article. It covers numerous aspects of sustainable urban development, including the need for sustainable transport systems (Paris, Curitiba), inclusive urbanization, reducing the environmental impact of cities (waste management, emissions), providing access to green public spaces (Medellín), and building resilience to climate-related disasters (Valencia).

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The article’s emphasis on reducing urban waste streams and implementing innovative solutions like Cape Town’s waste-to-energy plants connects directly to the goal of sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources, as well as reducing waste generation.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The entire article is framed around the role of cities in the “climate battle.” It discusses the need to integrate climate change measures into local policies (decarbonization strategies in Valencia and Rotterdam), reduce carbon emissions, and strengthen resilience to climate-related hazards like extreme heat, storms, and flooding.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article highlights the importance of collaboration, mentioning how cities are banding together in networks like C40 and ICLEI to share best practices and augment their collective impact. It also discusses the need for synergy between local and national governments to achieve climate goals, which speaks to multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. Under SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)

   • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. This is addressed through examples like Melbourne’s pilot of a neighborhood battery system to store and release renewable energy.
   • Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency. This is reflected in the discussion on making buildings more efficient, which account for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, and New York City’s Local Law 97 mandating building retrofits.

2. Under SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure)

   • Target 9.4: By 2030, 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. This is demonstrated by policies like New York’s building performance standard and the overall theme of decarbonizing urban infrastructure.

3. Under SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)

   • Target 11.2: By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all. The article cites Paris’s “Plan Vélo” to expand bicycle lanes and Curitiba’s pioneering bus rapid transit system as key examples.
   • Target 11.3: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management. Cleveland’s effort to build a broad-based decarbonization strategy inclusive of historically marginalized communities is a direct example.
   • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths 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. The mention of the extreme flooding in Valencia that cost hundreds of lives highlights the urgency of this target.
   • 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. This is addressed by Tokyo’s CO2 cap-and-trade program and Cape Town’s waste-to-energy initiatives to reduce landfill methane.
   • Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces. Medellín’s project of planting thousands of trees along “green corridors” is a direct implementation of this target.

4. Under SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)

   • Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. Cape Town’s piloting of waste-to-energy plants to manage landfill waste is a relevant example.

5. Under SDG 13 (Climate Action)

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article discusses cities dealing with “extreme heat, turbocharged storms” and the need to build resilience, as underscored by the flooding disaster in Valencia.
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article focuses on this at the subnational level, citing how cities like Valencia and Rotterdam have built comprehensive decarbonization agendas and climate agreements.

6. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. The formation of city associations like C40, ICLEI, and the Global Covenant of Mayors to share best practices and engage in global negotiations is a clear example of this.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

The article mentions or implies several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Proportion of global emissions from cities: The article states that cities account for “70 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions,” which serves as a baseline indicator for measuring reduction efforts (relevant to SDG 11.6 and SDG 13).
• Rate of urbanization: The statistic that cities housed “57 percent of the global population” in 2022, projected to rise to “nearly 70 percent” by 2050, is a direct measure related to SDG 11.3.1 (Rate of land consumption vs. population growth rate).
• Modal share of transportation: Paris’s “Plan Vélo” aims to “substantially increase the share of residents traveling by… the bicycle.” The 54% rise in bicycle use mentioned is a specific indicator for progress on sustainable transport (SDG 11.2).
• Greenhouse gas emission reduction targets: The Rotterdam Climate Agreement’s goal “to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 50 percent by 2030” is a clear, measurable indicator of climate action (SDG 13.2).
• Renewable energy generation capacity: Cape Town’s goal of generating “7-9 megawatts of electricity” from waste-to-energy plants is a specific indicator for increasing the share of renewable/alternative energy (SDG 7.2).
• Energy efficiency standards in buildings: The implementation of New York’s Local Law 97 and the finding that “88 percent of cities and regions required higher energy standards in buildings than did their national governments” act as indicators of policy adoption for energy efficiency (SDG 7.3).
• Area of green space: Medellín’s initiative of planting “thousands of trees and hundreds of thousands of shrubs along ‘green corridors'” can be quantified to measure progress towards providing access to green spaces (SDG 11.7).

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: atlanticcouncil.org