City footprints and SDGs provide untapped potential for assessing city sustainability

Thomas Wiedmann () and Cameron Allen
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Thomas Wiedmann: UNSW
Cameron Allen: UNSW

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Cities are recognised as central to determining the sustainability of human development. However, assessment concepts that are able to ascertain whether or not a city is sustainable are only just emerging. Here we review literature since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were agreed in 2015 and identify three strands of scientific inquiry and practice in assessing city sustainability. We find that further integration is needed. SDG monitoring and assessment of cities should take advantage of both consumption-based (footprint) accounting and benchmarking against planetary boundaries and social thresholds in order to achieve greater relevance for designing sustainable cities and urban lifestyles.

Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-23968-2

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23968-2

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