Contribution of the SDGs to urban sustainability David Satterthwaite International Institute for...
-
Upload
kristian-terry -
Category
Documents
-
view
220 -
download
1
Transcript of Contribution of the SDGs to urban sustainability David Satterthwaite International Institute for...
Contribution of the SDGs to urban sustainability
David SatterthwaiteInternational Institute for Environment and Development
Global attention to world’s 4 billion urban dwellers
Urban areas/urbanization getting more attention
But mainly wrt economic growth and climate change mitigation
Less interest in reducing urban poverty for the billion+ in
informal settlements
Addressing urban environmental health
climate change adaptation in urban areas
SD means moving forward on multiple goals
INDIA’S MOST SUCCESSFUL ECO-CITY (and the perfect green economy)
CITY OF 400,000 INHABITANTS WITH
Low GHG emissions
Prosperity & innovation ($400 million/year)
Keeping down resource use
Maximizing waste re-use & recycling
Compact city so little loss of forest or agri land
Most trips by walking or bicycling
Diets that are not too energy-intensive
Including many vegetarians….
SDGs Huge ambition:
Universal provision/Leave no-one behind
Combine development and sustainability
For urban areas, 3 environmental agendas: environmental health, resource use, waste reduction/management within+beyond boundaries
BUT so much on ‘what’; so little on how and by whom Such radical goals without changing the
institutions?
Without the data to measure and monitor progress?
KEY ISSUE: How to support those institutions with the willingness and
capacity to address the SDGs
Viewing the SDGs with an urban lens
1: Poverty: ambitious words, very inappropriate benchmark
2: Good general goals on food security but focus on production + rural
3-5: Good general goals (health, education, gender equality)
6: Water & sanitation: strong targets but no specifics about urban & inaccurate indicators
Drainage not mentioned but implied by 13
Solid waste collection (not mentioned) and management (11)
7: Energy/electricity (importance for SMEs)
Viewing the SDGs with an urban lens (2)
8: Growth. Huge relevance to urban (job creation, resource efficiency, sustainable consumption) but no mention
9: Infrastructure. Huge relevance to but no mention of urban
10: Inequality. Focus on income? Not on health/basic services?
11: Cities: universal basic services, safe land sites for safe housing, reducing ecological footprints
Access to schools, health care, emergency services, policing/rule of law implied by ‘basic services’ in 11
Disaster risk reduction (11.6), climate change adaptation (11b) contribution to mitigation (11b)
Viewing the SDGs with an urban lens (3)
12-15: Sustainable consumption, oceans, ecosystems – no explicit mention of urban
16: Governance. Very weak on local government and local civil society. Stress on national with occasional mention of ‘all levels’
SO WHAT DRIVES CHANGE TOWARDS MOST OF THE SDGs FOR URBAN AREAS
Capable, accountable, resourced city/municipal governments able to work with private sector and with
Organized urban poor groups/networks/federations that can work with city and municipal governments
If the SDGs took local governments & local civil society seriously?
Funds + support for city and municipal governments
Recognize city leadership here
Leaders that can listen
Recognize this level is where so much can be done
Funds for grassroots organizations/federations
Recognize huge innovation here – Urban Poor Fund International of Slum/Shack Dwellers International and Asian Coalition for Community Action
100+ city governments in partnership with urban poor organizations
So what can support SDGs in urban areas
Encourage urban governments to make formal commitment to meeting SDGs that are within their responsibilities
Redirect funding + support to local governments and representative organizations of the urban poor
Large common ground in reducing everyday risk, disaster risk and climate change risk
Mayors and city governments that are innovating in this often also innovating on mitigation (and some also on green economy)