Asia Pacific‘s leading platform for sustainable development
11. Sustainable cities and communities
More than half of the world’s population now live in urban areas. By 2050, that figure will have risen to 6.5 billion people – two-thirds of all humanity. Extreme poverty is often concentrated in urban spaces, and national and city governments struggle to accommodate the rising population in these areas. Making cities safe and sustainable means ensuring access to safe and affordable housing, and upgrading slum settlements. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way we build and manage our urban spaces.
Read our stories to learn more about SDG Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities is supported by ABB
Berita
A resettlement village set up after the 2015 earthquake was washed away in the August floods. Khalte’s destruction exposes wider gaps in Nepal’s attempts at rehabilitation.
Four globe-spanning snapshots of communities built on increasingly fragile ocean foundations, from Asia to Africa and the Americas.
Kebijakan & Keuangan
Brazil’s fossil fuel roadmap could strengthen COP31 push against blockers, say advocates
Ahead of COP31’s opening on Monday, Brazil’s voluntary roadmap faces fossil fuel expansion and transition disputes, as rising adaptation costs strain countries’ ability to protect communities.
Research is ongoing into the health effects of the world’s roughly 350,000 synthetic chemicals, but what we know so far is cause for concern. Plastics, PFAS and other synthetic chemicals are linked to numerous health risks, and emerging research even suggests rising atmospheric CO2 levels may harm health.
Kebijakan & Keuangan
The Tropical Forest Forever Facility turns one, and is billions short
Kebijakan & Keuangan
COP17: Yerevan pathway for nature leaves out the money and the detail
Opini
Replenishing depleted groundwater could slow or even reverse land subsidence in coastal cities – but fault lines can determine where and how quickly the ground rises.
Karbon & Iklim
How can the same El Niño cause drought in one part of the world and floods in another?
El Niño’s shifting ocean temperatures can disrupt atmospheric circulation worldwide – raising the risk of drought in some regions while bringing heavier rainfall and flooding to others.
Kebijakan & Keuangan
How trade deals can save nature
Environmental conservation is among the most important, universally shared imperatives the world faces, and market access is one of the few carrots available in international politics. By linking tariffs to deforestation, the EU and others can create trade agreements that deliver more conservation and more gains from trade.
Kebijakan & Keuangan
Rethinking sustainable livelihoods from the ground up
In regions where economic activity has long revolved around fossil-fuel extraction, ensuring a just transition requires developing alternative livelihoods that account for each community’s specific needs. Regional endowment funds could be a useful vehicle for funding these local initiatives.
Karbon & Iklim
Nature can’t wait
Karbon & Iklim
Who will pay to preserve tropical forests?
Video
Leaders share how they chose to prioritise sustainability across their business, and its ability to strengthen competitiveness and talent retention.
Speakers at Unlocking Capital for Sustainability Thailand 2026 discuss how private capital and blended finance can help build climate resilience across Asia Pacific.
Speakers at Unlocking Capital for Sustainability Thailand 2026 discuss how Thailand can align AI adoption, clean energy investment and climate policy to build more resilient cities and unlock long-term capital for adaptation.
Kebijakan & Keuangan
Indonesia – Navigating AI, ESG risks as a global critical minerals player
Speakers at Unlocking capital for sustainability Indonesia 2026 discuss how Indonesia can power its mineral boom without compromising climate goals or community trust
Podcasts
In this second episode of Eco-Business’s Resilience podcast series, Singapore's Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary and youth sustainability advocate Man Jing Kong dives into what resilience means for the city-state with Jessica Cheam. Watch as they discuss everything from climate adaptation to mental health and building public trust as an AI-driven economy reshapes daily life.
Amid back‑to‑back trash slides and a landfill fire in one of Southeast Asia’s leakiest waste systems, Philippine environment undersecretary Jonas Leones touts new science‑based safeguards for a waste‑to‑energy buildout in the country.
Karbon & Iklim
Jeffrey Sachs: China is unequivocally the world’s climate power today. Asean’s opportunity is next.
Eksklusif
The economist and president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network told the Eco-Business Podcast how China’s green industrial and financial capabilities can help accelerate Southeast Asia's transition to net zero.
The head of waste management non-profit Ocean Recovery Alliance tells the EB Podcast that recycled content mandates will drive the circular economy better than caps on virgin plastic production. Brands should be pressured more than petrochemical producers to phase out unnecessary plastics, he says.
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Organisasi Strategis
