SDG 11 sustainable cities and communities is central to our sustainability efforts, as it will improve the lives of billions of people.
It is also closely linked to many other UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, including employment, health, climate change and education.
What is SDG 11 sustainable cities and communities?
- SDG 11 aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
- A key objective of SDG 11 is to ensure climate adaptation by changing urban planning and design.
Why is it important to achieve SDG 11 sustainable cities and communities?
🔸 Urban Population Growth
According to the UN, 55% of the population lives in cities and urban areas. Of these, approximately 60% live in cities with more than 300,000 inhabitants, equivalent to one third of the world’s population. This figure is increasing so that almost 70% of the population will be living in urban areas by 2050.
🔸Pollutant emissions from energy use
Although the world’s cities occupy only 3% of the world’s total land area, the UN reports that 70% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from urban areas, most of which are poorly designed, energy-intensive.
🔸 Health of the urban population
Since 2016, 90% of urban dwellers breathe air that does not meet the standards set by the World Health Organisation. Moreover, the pandemic outbreak has been particularly fuelled in cities (more than 90% of coronavirus cases occur in urban areas).
In the case of energy, all this is important as it means ensuring sustainable urbanisation, where cities can decarbonise their energy supply and use through renewable energy, especially for heating, cooling, cooking and appliances.
The benefits include reductions in pollution and energy imports, as well as increased resilience, while also improving the relationship with other species with which we share our planet.
Our contribution to SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities
At the TED Countdown Summit in October 2021, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:
“When it comes to tackling climate change, the size of a country doesn’t really matter. It’s their ambition that counts. We have to be big in what we do and we have to be big in terms of impact”.
We like to use this example of a country but applied to our organisation.
At SolarMente we are committed to sustainability: we move away from fossil fuels that pollute cities and communities. We align ourselves with SDG 11 by using solar energy, a clean energy source that does not put people’s health at risk.
Solar technologies can contribute to the electrification of cities, thereby reducing the emission of local pollutants. We bring citizens closer to cleaner air quality through green energy generation and self-consumption.
Also, in the fight against climate change, we aim to be zero carbon and reduce our overall CO2 emissions.
Cities around the world are redesigning themselves to become smarter and more sustainable. This is why SDG 11 is an important impact multiplier for the rest of the SDGs and can create an environment where nature and people can thrive.
At SolarMente we promote efficiency, energy savings and environmental protection through customised plans and state-of-the-art technology upgrades to optimise savings and return control of energy to the homeowner.
We take care of increasing the effectiveness of your solar installation year after year and achieve annual savings of €600 on your electricity bill, just like with other SolarMente customers who are already enjoying solar panels on their home.
Make it SolarMente! ☀️✌️
