Sustainable Development Goal 11

GOAL 11: Sustainable cities and communities

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable:

There is a strong link between the quality of life in cities and the way cities take advantage of and manage the natural resources available to them. To date, the trend toward urbanization has been accompanied by increased pressure on the environment and accelerating demand for basic services, infrastructure, jobs, land and affordable housing, particularly for the nearly 1 billion urban poor living in informal settlements.

Due to their high concentration of people, infrastructure, housing and economic activities, cities are particularly vulnerable to climate change and the impacts of natural disasters. Developing urban resilience is essential to avoid human, social and economic losses, while it is necessary to improve the sustainability of urbanization processes to protect the environment and mitigate the risk of disasters and climate change.

Resource efficient cities combine higher productivity and innovation with lower costs and reduced environmental impacts, while providing greater opportunities for consumer choices and sustainable lifestyles.

Facts and statistics / Facts and figures:

• The world's cities occupy only 3 percent of the Earth's land, but they account for between 60 and 80 percent of energy consumption and 75 percent of carbon emissions.