Toolkit
Beating the Heat
A Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities
This handbook was launched at COP26 and provides case studies from cities around the world that demonstrate how to sustainably tackle the urban heat island effect.
With growing populations – predominantly in the tropics – and rapid urbanization, the impact of global warming is felt most acutely in cities. Research shows that the world’s cities are heating up at twice the global average rate due to the urban heat island effect – a phenomenon where urban areas experience higher temperatures than outlying areas due to a combination of diminishing green cover, heat gain and thermal properties of the materials commonly used in urban surfaces, as well as waste heat from human activities (such as industrial processes, transport and air conditioning).
This guide by UNEP offers planners an encyclopedia of proven options to help cool cities sustainably, providing improved health and productivity, economic benefits, and reduced power usage and emissions. The guide’s 80 supporting case studies and examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the strategies outlined and can help cities find an approach best suited to their unique contexts.
Learn more
Plastic Pollution & Cities: Building Momentum Towards a Global Plastics Treaty
At this circular economy-themed webinar, we heard from experts, city representatives and waste pickers about the causes & consequences of plastic pollution in cities, and what cities can do to initiate a just transition to a plastic-free economy.
Asia Forum 2023
At UrbanShift's first forum, senior representatives from cities in India, China and Indonesia will meet with international organizations and the private sector to exchange knowledge on regional urban challenges and solutions.
State of Finance for Nature in Cities 2023
In this publication, UNEP and the Penn Institute for Urban Research outline gaps and opportunities for financing Nature-based Solutions in cities, best practices from around the world, and actions that can be taken to scale up investments in nature.
Trees for Cities: Implementing Nature-Based Solutions in India
Nature-based solutions create multiple benefits for urban residents, from heat protection to green jobs. WRI India shares how cities across the country are scaling up urban forestry efforts.
