0%

City Challenges

Home City Challenges

Distance open learning course for the City Challenges

City Challenge 1: Powering Cities without Harming the Climate

City Challenge 2: Reforming the built environment for the future city

City Challenge 3: Regenerating urban space to connect people in a healthy environment

City Challenge 4: From waste disposal to resource efficiency – circular economy at the city scale

City Challenge 5: Moving around the city – green transport and mobility patterns for community development

City Challenge 6: Innovation for social and environmental benefit

City Challenge 1: Powering cities without harming the climate

INTRODUCTION

One of the main targets of the European Green Deal is renewable energies to account for 32% of energy production by the year 2030. As a matter of fact, clean energy production is only one side of the coin as there seems to be some underestimation of the importance of energy efficiency and energy saving. Needless to say, it will be much easier to meet the clean energy goals as far as the reduction of the emissions greenhouses gases is concerned, when the overall energy demand is much lower.

SDG 7. AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY

Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today. Be it for jobs, security, climate change, food production or increasing incomes, access to energy for all is essential. Working towards this goal is especially important as it interlinks with other Sustainable Development Goals.

Download:

SDG 9. INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Investments in infrastructure – transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology – are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities in many countries. It has long been recognized that growth in productivity and incomes, and improvements in health and education outcomes require investment in infrastructure.

Download:

SDG 12. RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

Sustainable consumption and production is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all. Its implementation helps to achieve overall development plans, reduce future economic, environmental and social costs, strengthen economic competitiveness and reduce poverty .

Download:

SDG 13. CLIMATE ACTION

Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting lives, costing people, communities and countries dearly today and even more tomorrow. Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, weather events are becoming more extreme and greenhouse gas emissions are now at their highest levels in history. Without action, the world’s average surface temperature is likely to surpass 3 degrees centigrade this century. The poorest and most vulnerable people are being affected the most.

Download:

City Challenge 2: Reforming the built environment for the future city

INTRODUCTION

There are technical issues of buildings that can be easily referred to, such as energy and watersaving parameters. There are also materials used in the construction process that can influence the local microclimate and the capacity of buildings to cope with extreme heat or cold. We can also look at buildings from a different perspective: they have an important role to play, especially when we think how they impact the city functions and shape.

SDG 9. INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Investments in infrastructure – transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology – are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities in many countries. It has long been recognized that growth in productivity and incomes, and improvements in health and education outcomes require investment in infrastructure.

Download:

SDG 11 SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

Cities are hubs for ideas, commerce, culture, science, productivity, social development and much more At their best, cities have enabled people to advance socially and economically With the number of people living within cities projected to rise to 5 billion people by 2030 it’s important that efficient urban planning and management practices are in place to deal with the challenges brought by urbanization.

Download:

SDG 12. RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

Sustainable consumption and production is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all. Its implementation helps to achieve overall development plans, reduce future economic, environmental and social costs, strengthen economic competitiveness and reduce poverty .

Download:

SDG 13. CLIMATE ACTION

Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting lives, costing people, communities and countries dearly today and even more tomorrow. Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, weather events are becoming more extreme and greenhouse gas emissions are now at their highest levels in history. Without action, the world’s average surface temperature is likely to surpass 3 degrees centigrade this century. The poorest and most vulnerable people are being affected the most.

Download:

SDG 15 LIFE ON LAND

Forests cover 30 7 per cent of the Earth’s surface and, in addition to providing food security and shelter, they are key to combating climate change, protecting biodiversity and the homes of the indigenous population By protecting forests, we will also be able to strengthen natural resource management and increase land productivity.

Download:

City Challenge 3: Regenerating urban space to connect people in a healthy environment

INTRODUCTION

Infrastructure is not only about the construction sites and the materials that are used in the process, but also about the shift in the way we imagine how infrastructure looks like. Thankfully our perception is already changing – not all of the infrastructure has to be built and be the so-called grey one. Wider applications of Nature-Based Solutions are necessary, especially for urban dense neighborhoods or the already overloaded sewage systems, not to mention urban heat or heat waves.

SDG 1 NO POVERTY

Globally, the number of people living in extreme poverty declined from 36 per cent in 1990 to 10 per cent in 2015 But the pace of change is decelerating and the COVID 19 crisis risks reversing decades of progress in the fight against poverty. New research published by the UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research warns that the economic fallout from the global pandemic could increase global poverty by as much as half a billion people or 8 of the total human population This would be the first time that poverty has increased globally in thirty years, since 1990.

Download:

SDG 2 ZERO HUNGER

After decades of steady decline, the number of people who suffer from hunger as measured by the prevalence of undernourishment began to slowly increase again in 2015. Current estimates show that nearly 690 million people are hungry, or 8.9 percent of the world population up by 10 million people in one year and by nearly 60 million in five years.

Download:

SDG 3 GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Ensuring healthy lives and promoting the well being at all ages is essential to sustainable development. Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common killers associated with child and maternal mortality, but working towards achieving the target of less than 70 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births by 2030 would require improvements in skilled delivery care. Achieving the target of reducing premature deaths due to incommunicable diseases by 1/3 by the year 2030 would also require more efficient technologies for clean fuel use during cooking and education on the risks of tobacco.

Download:

SDG 6 CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION

Clean, accessible water for all is an essential part of the world we want to live in and there is sufficient fresh water on the planet to achieve this. However, due to bad economics or poor infrastructure, millions of people including children die every year from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene. To improve sanitation and access to drinking water, there needs to be increased investment in management of freshwater ecosystems and sanitation facilities on a local level in several developing countries within Sub Saharan Africa, Central Asia, Southern Asia, Eastern Asia and South Eastern Asia.

Download:

SDG 7 AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY

Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today. Be it for jobs, security, climate change, food production or increasing incomes, access to energy for all is essential. Working towards this goal is especially important as it interlinks with other Sustainable Development Goals. Focusing on universal access to energy, increased energy efficiency and the increased use of renewable energy through new economic and job opportunities is crucial to creating more sustainable and inclusive communities and resilience to environmental issues like climate change.

Download:

SDG 9 INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Investments in infrastructure – transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology – are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities in many countries. It has long been recognized that growth in productivity and incomes, and improvements in health and education outcomes require investment in infrastructure.

Download:

SDG 10 REDUCED INEQUALITIES

Reducing inequalities and ensuring no one is left behind are integral to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Inequality within and among countries is a persistent cause for concern. Despite some positive signs toward reducing inequality in some dimensions, such as reducing relative income inequality in some countries and preferential trade status benefiting lower income countries, inequality still persists.

Download:

SDG 15 LIFE ON LAND

Forests cover 30 7 per cent of the Earth’s surface and, in addition to providing food security and shelter, they are key to combating climate change, protecting biodiversity and the homes of the indigenous population. By protecting forests, we will also be able to strengthen natural resource management and increase land productivity.

Download:

City Challenge 4: From waste disposal to resource efficiency – circular economy at the city scale

INTRODUCTION

Many natural resources are fundamental to our health, well-being and quality of life, so it is essential that we respect the natural limits of the planet. Growing global demand is adding pressure on the environment, whereas the quest for more resources is increasing. Resource efficiency means using the Earth’s limited resources in a sustainable manner while minimizing impacts on the environment. It allows us to create more with less and to deliver greater value with less input.

SDG 8 DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

Sustained and inclusive economic growth can drive progress, create decent jobs for all and improve living standards. COVID-19 has disrupted billions of lives and endangered the global economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects a global recession as bad as or worse than in 2009. As job losses escalate, the International Labor Organization estimates that nearly half of the global workforce is at risk of losing their livelihoods.

Download:

SDG 9 INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Investments in infrastructure – transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology – are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities in many countries. It has long been recognized that growth in productivity and incomes, and improvements in health and education outcomes require investment in infrastructure.

Download:

SDG 12 RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

Sustainable consumption and production is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all. Its implementation helps to achieve overall development plans, reduce future economic, environmental and social costs, strengthen economic competitiveness and reduce poverty.

Download:

SDG 17 PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL

A successful sustainable development agenda requires partnerships between governments, the private sector and civil society. These inclusive partnerships built upon principles and values, a shared vision, and shared goals that place people and the planet at the centre, are needed at the global, regional, national and local level.

Download:

City Challenge 5: Moving around the city – green transport and mobility patterns for community development

INTRODUCTION

Despite the fact that more and more activities, especially related to work, can be done at home, it is hard to imagine a significant decrease in demand for transport around the city. The growing number of urban inhabitants will make us rethink our transportation habits, whether we like it or not. Individual motorized transport is highly inefficient in urban areas, both from the economic and environmental perspective; alternatives can be sought in public transport and non-motorized movement around the city.

SDG 8 DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

Sustained and inclusive economic growth can drive progress, create decent jobs for all and improve living standards. COVID-19 has disrupted billions of lives and endangered the global economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects a global recession as bad as or worse than in 2009. As job losses escalate, the International Labor Organization estimates that nearly half of the global workforce is at risk of losing their livelihoods.

Download:

SDG 9 INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Investments in infrastructure – transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology – are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities in many countries. It has long been recognized that growth in productivity and incomes, and improvements in health and education outcomes require investment in infrastructure.

Download:

SDG 10 REDUCED INEQUALITIES

Reducing inequalities and ensuring no one is left behind are integral to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Inequality within and among countries is a persistent cause for concern. Despite some positive signs toward reducing inequality in some dimensions, such as reducing relative income inequality in some countries and preferential trade status benefiting lower-income countries, inequality still persists.

Download:

SDG 13 CLIMATE ACTION

Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting lives, costing people, communities and countries dearly today and even more tomorrow. Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, weather events are becoming more extreme and greenhouse gas emissions are now at their highest levels in history. Without action, the world’s average surface temperature is likely to surpass 3 degrees centigrade this century. The poorest and most vulnerable people are being affected the most.

Download:

City Challenge 6: Innovation for social and environmental benefit

INTRODUCTION

While innovations cannot by themselves solve each and every challenge people face in cities, they can be a useful tool in a varied array of challenges – from fighting the climate crisis up to broadening possibilities for civic participation in urban life. While most innovations are technological, they also may be also social or governance ones.

SDG 9 INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Investments in infrastructure – transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology – are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities in many countries. It has long been recognized that growth in productivity and incomes, and improvements in health and education outcomes require investment in infrastructure.

Download:

SDG 12 RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

Sustainable consumption and production is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all. Its implementation helps to achieve overall development plans, reduce future economic, environmental and social costs, strengthen economic competitiveness and reduce poverty.

Download:

SDG 13 CLIMATE ACTION

Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting lives, costing people, communities and countries dearly today and even more tomorrow. Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, weather events are becoming more extreme and greenhouse gas emissions are now at their highest levels in history. Without action, the world’s average surface temperature is likely to surpass 3 degrees centigrade this century. The poorest and most vulnerable people are being affected the most.

Download:

SDG 16 PEACE JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS

Conflict, insecurity, weak institutions and limited access to justice remain a great threat to sustainable development. The number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict exceeded 70 million in 2018, the highest level recorded by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in almost 70 years. In 2019, the United Nations tracked 357 killings and 30 enforced disappearances of human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists in 47 countries.

Download:

SDG 17 PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL

A successful sustainable development agenda requires partnerships between governments, the private sector and civil society. These inclusive partnerships built upon principles and values, a shared vision, and shared goals that place people and the planet at the centre, are needed at the global, regional, national and local level.

Download:

Copyright 2020 PULCHRA Project | All Rights Reserved