WWF is working with governments, city networks and businesses to reduce the global footprint of cities and to promote attractive One Planet lifestyles.
Sustainable Cities
The battle for life on Earth will be won or lost in cities.
An urbanizing planet
Over half the world’s population now lives in cities, and the urbanization trend is expected to continue steadily until the middle of this century. Urban populations are expected to double from the current 3,5 billion to 6 billion by 2050. In other words, over the next four decades, humanity will be building as much urban infrastructure as we have built so far throughout history.
However increased political leadership, public engagement and entrepreneurship are all required if these solutions are to be instrumental in making such a positive transformation of cities possible. WWF’s emerging work on sustainable cities aims to inspire and support this transformation.
Cities have huge footprints
The global footprint of cities is quite daunting. Both directly through urban sprawl, but even more indirectly through consumption in cities. Urban dwellers’ growing appetites for various food groups, goods and energy services put increasing pressure on the world’s land, waters and climate. More than 70 per cent of all fossil fuel related CO2 emissions today stem from cities.Attractive urban One Planet lifestyles
The good news is that solutions already exist that can provide urban dwellers with attractive lifestyles within their fair share of the planet’s biological capacity.However increased political leadership, public engagement and entrepreneurship are all required if these solutions are to be instrumental in making such a positive transformation of cities possible. WWF’s emerging work on sustainable cities aims to inspire and support this transformation.
What WWF is doing
- The Earth Hour City Challenge: is an initiative designed by WWF to mobilize action and support from cities in the global transition towards a 100% renewable future. It also aims to stimulate the development and dissemination of best practices for climate mitigation and adaptation.
- Urban Solutions: a global inventory of learning cases from sustainable urban development.
- Low Carbon Cities initiative: exploring low carbon development models in different cities in China in order to learn from and replicate successful experiences.
- Cities for forests campaign: educating urban citizens in India to discover the forests that support their cities and experience their biodiversity and overall health.
Model of the city of Beijing. China.
Girls, Shanghai, China
