Maintaining economic growth while creating sustainable cities for all is the biggest urban challenge that countries face today. Cities and metropolitan areas are engines of economic growth, contributing about 80% of global GDP. However, they also account for about 60% of global carbon emissions and more than 70% cent of energy use.
To support cities in choosing and designing policy interventions most suitable to address the identified environmental challenges, this report provides an overview of the most relevant urban green policy instruments in urban transport, solid waste, water and wastewater, energy and buildings, land planning, green space and biodiversity, governance and finance.
The report aims to contribute to a shared vision of the role and opportunities of city-led policy initiatives and programmes. It seeks to raise awareness of the potentially impactful role of policy initiatives, of how they interact with other urban policies and, in particular, how policies can enhance and complement the environmental benefits of municipal investment programmes.