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
News
On the east coast of Indonesia’s Lombok Island, local people who rely on the local crab fishery have initiated their own mangrove planting program in a bid to resuscitate failing crab habitats.
Trust and influence may have already shifted to social media, where fossil fuel interests are backing creators. Climate organisations must catch up.
The new centre will focus on toxic industrial waste, resource recovery and transforming Semakau Landfill into a circular economy hub.
Health authorities in Thailand have found arsenic in two people living near the Kok River. Heavy metals have also been found in the water and fish of Kok and other rivers.
Opinion
Taiwan’s energy challenges highlight the limits of fossil fuel–based energy security as geopolitical tensions reshape global energy markets and supply chains.
Policy & Finance
The right incentives for climate action
As the closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt global oil and gas flows, countries are increasingly focusing on short-term energy priorities to the detriment of long-term decarbonisation goals. In such a context, the difficult task of designing climate policies that realign incentives takes on new importance.
As the country moves to meet its renewables targets, grid projects must be negotiated so Cambodia retains control over operational data.
Connecting communities that protect their coasts can yield huge benefits but funding is not flowing to the right places.
Policy & Finance
The future of development finance is not primarily about money
Videos
Industry experts dissect what it means to adopt AI for sustainability, ranging from tackling rising environmental concerns to implementation of responsible governance.
Carbon & Climate
‘Resilience is not a buzzword’: Palm oil leaders call for industry reset amid global shocks
In the inaugural episode of Eco-Business's new Resilience podcast series, industry leaders say the palm oil sector's ability to weather disruption will depend not on certification alone, but on rethinking the relationships that underpin the entire supply chain.
Exclusive
Tune in to this webinar where our guest speakers discuss the region's plastic crisis, the state of play on the Global Plastics Treaty and circular economy strategies for businesses.
The impact documentary exploring Asia's mounting waste crisis – and its solutions – is now streaming exclusively for Eco-Business subscribers.
Podcasts
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.
Carbon & Climate
Jeffrey Sachs: China is unequivocally the world’s climate power today. Asean’s opportunity is next.
Exclusive
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.
Green Buildings
Are our climate targets too weak or too ambitious? Hang Lung Properties’ sustainability chief John Haffner
Having "stretch targets" can spur innovation, says the sustainability chief for one of Hong Kong's largest real estate firms in the latest episode of "On the frontlines". He also shares why the firm has chosen to publish the draft of its net zero plan for open discussion of its climate targets.
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