Cities currently account for half the global population, two-thirds of global energy usage, and over 70% of global carbon emissions. The world's rapidly growing cities increasingly face natural resource shortages, inefficient infrastructure, economic disparities, and social dislocation. Yet despite their significant environmental impacts, cities can also serve as important sources of potential sustainability solutions to global sustainability challenges, creating cleantech innovation hubs, models of urban and transportation planning, leaders in energy efficiency and green building design, and platforms for social justice. City-level climate and energy policy implementation can also help achieve large scale carbon reductions at manageable costs and with co-benefits such as job creation, technology development, and pollution reduction.

Join Sustainable Practice Network experts as they parse out the factors that make cities and urban livelihoods sustainable and reflect on the short-term and long-term changes required to mainstream sustainable practices and policies. Come contribute to the discussion of how cities can accelerate local and global sustainable development, resilience, and prosperity while adapting to the challenges of climate change, resource scarcity, and globalization.