đCities are key in combatting the climate crisis.
Almost 5 billion people live in towns or cities. Generating 70% of global CO2 emissions, they can be powerful agents of change.
"Portraits of Urban Change" is a photo contest by @UNUEHS and @unclimatechange showing projects that help make our cities more sustainable, inclusive and resilient. Here are three of the 20 pictures selected to be exhibited at the upcoming #COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan in November:
đď¸The production, use and waste management of plastics generates about 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Mr and Mrs Ebun in Nigeria have made it their livelihood to collect plastic bags and bottles, wash them clean, weigh them and take them to recycling plants for a token. Photo: Samuel Okechukwu
âĄď¸ Cities use 75% of the worldâs energy and produce 70% of greenhouse gases. In an effort to switch to renewable energy sources, a major corporation in Cebu in the Philippines has converted their primary power source to clean energy and placed several hectares of solar panels on residential houses. Photo: Mark Linel Padecio
đą Urban areas can be up to 10°C hotter than surrounding regions. City forests or gardens can significantly reduce air temperatures - and contribute to food security at the same time. An NGO in Brazil covered its roof with a vegetable garden that produces organic food and serves 400 families from the neighboring community. Photo: Hans von Manteuffel
Every action counts!
#UrbanOctober
The UKâs acceleration toward *sustainable construction* underscores a decisive shift from ambition to delivery. National Grid ESOâs reforms to the grid connection process remove zombie projects and prioritise actionable, low carbon design ready to unlock billions in clean energy infrastructure. This structural change supports *green infrastructure* essential to *decarbonising the built environment*, linking energy planning with *sustainable building practices* that address both whole life carbon and embodied carbon impacts through rigorous whole life carbon assessment.
Offshore windâs expansion, now generating nearly one-fifth of Britainâs electricity, highlights how *environmental sustainability in construction* relies on scalable, *eco-friendly construction* solutions. The developing offshore supply chain demands *sustainable building design* that integrates *circular economy in construction* strategies and *resource efficiency in construction*, enabling the transition towards *net zero carbon buildings* and *net zero whole life carbon* performance.
While material innovation remains subdued, the rise of energy-efficiency retrofits reflects a shift towards life cycle cost optimisation and *building lifecycle performance* over short-term gain. Firms such as Mapei point to recovery driven by energy-efficient buildings and *low embodied carbon materials*, reinforcing the value of *eco-design for buildings* and *sustainable material specification* guided by *environmental product declarations (EPDs)*. These principles strengthen the circular economy ethos and advance *carbon footprint reduction* across every project stage, from design to *end-of-life reuse in construction*.
Africaâs emerging solar market signals global diversification of *green construction*, with the continent expected to become a testbed for *low carbon building* strategies suited to extreme climates. The transition invites adoption of *circular construction strategies*, *renewable building materials*, and *sustainable urban development* underpinned by *life cycle thinking in construction*.
The alignment of policy reform, financial investment, and technical capability confirms that *sustainable design* has become core to delivering *carbon neutral construction* and reducing the *carbon footprint of construction* worldwide. The era of incremental action is endingâthe new metric of success is measurable whole life carbon performance and resilient, *green building materials* innovation delivering true *sustainability* in the built environment.
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