The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO) for Cities – a major new report explaining how cities can pave the way to a green, sustainable and just future.
“From the global to the individual level, our world is changing at a rapid pace, and we need inspiration and solutions more than ever at this critical juncture. We hope this report rises to these challenges and that its careful consideration of the current situation can catalyse and contribute to action and better outcomes for cities, people, the planet and the environment.”
– Julie Greenwalt and Diego Martino, Co-chairs of the GEO for Cities report.
The report is directed explicitly at decision-makers and actors involved in urban development. The report comprises five chapters. After the first introductory chapter, the second chapter examines current urban dynamics, the challenges cities face and the opportunities that can catalyse change. It provides an in-depth explanation of ‘lock-ins’ – systemic challenges that lock cities into unsustainable and inequitable trajectories. In Chapter 3, interlinked connections between cities and their surrounding environment are explored. It does so by describing how environmental conditions affect cities (e.g., climate change) and how cities affect the environment locally and globally (e.g., pollution and greenhouse gas emissions). Chapter 4 shows the need for an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to city planning. It offers a bright futuristic vision through three dimensions: ‘net-zero emissions’, ‘resilience & sustainable growth’ and ‘inclusive & just cities’. The latter dimension refers to justice not only for human beings but for all living organisms. Finally, the fifth part of the document provides pathways to guide transformation towards an equal and sustainable future.
With this report, the UNEP aims to reach different kinds of cities – north vs. south, small vs. large. Hence, no one-size-fits-all blueprint has been provided. Rather, the report furnishes broad ideas and recommendations, and compelling examples from around the world. In conclusion, the GEO for Cities report underlines that cities must be recognized as opportunities in the creation of a more sustainable future. Essential elements for this future are circularity in cities, decarbonization of urban economies, increasing resilience and equity for all living organisms. It is evident that transformation is complex and that there is no simple guidebook for systemic change. But, it is crucial that cities recognize and confront underlying issues, take inspiration from available information, and are not afraid to take action in making these visions reality.