Introduction to Sustainable

Development (GED 205)

Dr Samiya Selim
SDG 11 and 12 - Sustainable Cities, and Sustainable
Consumption and Production
SDG 11 – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and
sustainable

• What is urban development?

• What makes it sustainable, green and resilient?
• What are the challenges with urban development in
Bangladesh?
• What are some of the solutions and opportunities for
improvement?
Urbanization around the world

More than 50% of human populations live in cities.

Up to the time of industrial revolution, the farm sector was not

productive enough to support a large urban economy.

There are some great historic cities – Cairo, Rome, Beijing,

Constantinople, Paris London..

Industrial rev. increased output per farmer..

https://ourworldindata.org/urbanization

What makes a city a city?

1. High Concentrations of population (varies city to city e.g Sweden and
Denmark, for example, use a threshold of only 200 inhabitants
whereas Japan adopts a very high threshold of 50,000 inhabitants.

2. Kind of economic activity they host

3. Relatively productive areas of the national economy. Avg output per

person in urban areas is often 2-3 times higher than in rural areas of
same country.

4. Rise of migration of workers from rural to urban areas is often

accompanied by significant rise in national productivity

5. Tremendous amount of innovation – universities, hospitals, business

centres

6. Cities are trading centers

7. Major cities are generally coastal to take advantage of lower costs of

sea based shipping of good

8. Cities are often places of glaring inequality

What Makes a City Sustainable, Green and Resilient?

• Urban productivity - cities offer large markets. A large local market

makes it easier to establish new firms and to grow them to scale at
which they are efficient. This makes for more competition, breaking
down monopoly power as multiple firms come to compete for
customers. As well as offering larger markets, cities also offer more
suppliers of the inputs that firms use; the presence of local suppliers
means that inputs can be tailored to firms’ needs and supplied
rapidly and flexibly.

• Social inclusion is the process of improving the terms on which

individuals and groups take part in society—improving the ability,
opportunity, and dignity of those disadvantaged on the basis of their
identity

• Environmental Sustainability – green infrastructure, being resource

efficient (water, energy, etc), reducing carbon footprint

• Smart Infrastructure

• Urban Resilience
Urban Resilience

defined as the "measurable ability of any urban system, with its

inhabitants, to maintain continuity through all shocks and stresses, while
positively adapting and transforming towards sustainability".

CHRONIC STRESSES
Chronic stresses are slow moving disasters that weaken the fabric of a city. They
include:
• high unemployment
• overtaxed or inefficient public transportation system
• endemic violence
• chronic food and water shortages

ACUTE SHOCKS
On the other hand, acute shocks are sudden, sharp events that threaten a city,
including:

• earthquakes
• floods
• disease outbreaks
• terrorist attacks
Examples of SDG 11 Targets

11.1 By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable
housing and basic services and upgrade slums

11.1.1 Proportion of urban population living in slums,

informal settlements or inadequate housing

11.6 By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of

cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and
municipal and other waste management

11.6.1 Proportion of urban solid waste regularly collected

and with adequate final discharge out of total urban solid

waste generated, by cities

11.6.2 Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g.

PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population weighted)
SDG 12 Sustainable Consumption and Production

What do we mean by consumption?

Food company makes food…we buy and eat
Car manufacturer builds cars for commuters to buy and use during
their daily travels.
Energy companies generate power, so consumers can use electricity
to turn on lights in their homes.

When consumers consume goods and services, the economy grows

because there is more money changing hands.

Production of goods and services uses raw materials provided by

the environment, such as water, timbers and fossil fuels.

How can consumption be handled in ways that minimize damage to

the environment, so products and services are available for future
generations to consume?
SDG 12 Sustainable Consumption and Production

Sustainable consumption 

• minimizes the impact on the environment

• Resources are used efficiently
• waste products and pollution are minimized.

• human needs can be met not only in the present but also for future
generations

The main way this is achieved is by doing more and better with less. In
other words, we can find ways to meet our needs and desires without
depleting our planet's finite natural resources.

How might one do this?

Carpooling, using renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind

power, developing alternative fuel sources, such as biofuels, for our
transportation needs and using environmentally friendly products.

What about the Economy? What will drive Growth?

 Key Areas of Focus for Consuming and Producing Sustainably

• Focusing on needs, consuming less

• Making informed Choices (environmental and social awareness)

• Carbon footprint

• Circular Economy (cradle to cradle)

• Quality over quantity (last longer, slower fashion, less waste)

• Societal Demands, marketing, branding..

• Awareness and Education

• Government Intervention - changes in policy, laws and efficiency in

production, better machineries, tax breaks etc
SDG 12 – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through

prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

12.5.1 National recycling rate, tons of material recycled

12.6 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational

companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate
sustainability information into their reporting cycle

12.6.1 Number of companies publishing sustainability reports

How is Bangladesh doing on SDG 12 Targets?