Today, over half the world’s population lives in cities. This share is expected to?rise to 68%, or nearly 7 billion people, by 2050. Material consumption is expected to grow on a business-as-usual pathway, with buildings already accounting for?30% of global energy consumption and 28% of energy-related carbon emissions. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the unsustainability of current urbanization models for human and planetary health. However, cities also fuel the global economy and are, therefore, crucial to the economic and social recovery from COVID-19. As societies emerge from this crisis, increasing urban resilience and improving the lives and well-being of dwellers will be critical to boosting economic and citizen confidence. According to the World Economic Forum’s?Future of Nature and Business Report, a nature-positive pathway in the infrastructure and built environment could create over $3 trillion in business opportunities and create 117 million jobs by 2030.
Back to top