This document outlines a framework for assessing the environmental performance of cities. It discusses monitoring key local issues like water, sanitation, waste and air/water pollution. However, it notes that cities also impact distant environments through consumption and outputs. It reviews city indicators and finds climate change is the only global issue monitored. The document prioritizes providing adequate environmental infrastructure in all cities by 2025. It also suggests actions cities can take to restore local ecosystems and reduce food waste to lessen distant and global impacts.

1. Environmental performance of Cities
Elements for a framework
Gaëll Mainguy
Rio de Janeiro, August 1, 2012 Gaell.mainguy@institut.veolia.org

2. Demographics
Climate
Ecosystems
Water Ressources
Other Ressources
Consumption

3. LowCarbon City
Green City
EcoCity SmartCity
Climate
Ecosystems
Water Ressources
Other Ressources
Sustainable City
Efficient City

4. • What should be monitored?
• What is monitored?

6. The Global Challenges: sectors and priorities
(Rockstrom et al, 2009)

7. The Global Challenges: sectors and priorities
Non renewable mineral ressources
Environmental threats to cities

8. The Planet boundaries: biodiversity
"Over the past 50 years human activities have changed
ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than at any
comparable period in our history with more than 60% of the
world’s ecosystems already degraded"
(Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005).

9. Distant impacts: Inputs

10. Distant impacts: Outputs
Caribbean coral reefs are threatened by poor
wastewater treatment of coastal cities.
White pox disease on a frond of the endangered elkhorn coral on
Carysfort Reef in the Florida Keys. The bacteria Serratia
marcescens originates from human sewage.
(Sutherland et al., 2011, Plos One)

11. Impacts : Local, distant, global
Sectors Local Distant Global
Biodiversity loss Habitat destruction Consumption of Disturbances of
Local pollution food and goods C/N/P/Hg cycles
Brownfield Distant pollution.
remediation
Carbon Cycle Local deforestation Deforestation due to Induced CO 2
Local reforestation consumption emissions
Reforestation (scopes 1,2,3)
N, P cycles Local waterways Waterways, coastal NO 2 accumulation:
pollution, and land pollution Climate change
Eutrophication Eutrophication
Pollutants Local air, land and CFCs and ODS
water pollutions emissions, Hg global
Water resources Pollution/ exhaustion Consumption:
of local streams / Pollution/
ground water exhaustion
of upstream
resources / ground
water
Land use change Urban extension Conversion of lands
Brownfield for food and good
rehabilitation productions
Solid Waste Local pollution Downstream
pollution
Coastal degradation

12. A green city has a green hinterland
The urban hinterland, once primarily a
confined geographic zone, is becoming a
global hinterland.
“Green city”: The external impacts of urban
activities, both distant and global, need to be
monitored.

13. What is monitored?
Review of 75 city indices and benchmarks

14. The local environment
The most pressing environmental challenges
are the ones that alter the quality of life of the
urban residents:
•Water supply
•Sanitation
•Waste
•Ground pollutions
•Air pollutions
•Water pollutions
•Green spaces

15. Urban Environmental Accords
Energy Renewable Energy | Energy Efficiency | Climate
Change
Waste Reduction Zero Waste | Manufacturer Responsibility |
Consumer Responsibility
Urban Design Green Building | Urban Planning | Slums
Urban Nature Parks | Habitat Restoration | Wildlife
Transportation Public Transportation | Clean Vehicles |
Reducing Congestion
Environmental Health Toxics Reduction | Healthy Food
Systems | Clean Air
Water Water Access and Efficiency | Source Water Protection
| Waste Water Reduction

16. What is monitored?
• Most sustainable indicators for cities are designed to assess
the impact on the local city environment, such as long-term
models of urban transport, building efficiency, renewable
energy, waste and water.
• Indicators for local city environment needs standardization
• The GEO cities Reports is the most comprehensive today
• The Water Impact Index enables a comprehensive
assessment of the impact of human activity on water
resources: volume, quality and stress. It integrates some
distant effects and is simple enough to guide decision-
making.

17. What is monitored?
Global issues
• Climate change is the only global issue currently
monitored (carbon-reduction and/or energy efficiency
indicators).
• GHG accounting is the most advanced methodology to
account for out-of-boundaries impacts.
• Methods to capture and/or mitigate distant effects for
other sectors need to be developed.

19. Environmental performance of Cities

20. Actions: Top priorities
« Promote the integrated provision of
environmental infrastructure: water,
sanitation, drainage and solid-waste
management » …and greenspaces
Agenda 21 (1992)
Target: adequate environmental
infrastructures in all settlements by
2025

21. Hinterland: What can be done?
Restore and manage natural ecosystems, develop green
infrastructures:
Green cities: create and manage protected areas locally: Rio de
Janeiro, Gwangju
Blue cities: Functioning natural ecosystems help to maintain water
quality through filtration, groundwater renewal and maintenance of
natural flows.
Low carbon cities: Terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems
play serve as major carbon stores and sinks. (Marine: 2% for 50%)
Resilient cities: Protected areas prevent or mitigate natural
disasters: Flooding, landslide and avalanche, tidal waves and storm
surges, drought and desertification, fire, hurricanes and storm.
Action: Set targets of protected areas restored and/or managed by cities
(locally) or jointly implemented (distant).
IUCN, WCPA. S.A.P.I.EN.S, in press

22. Hinterland: What can be done?
Change in life style, looking for nexus:
Food consumption: up to 70% of the food is wasted along the
food chain.
Food = life
Waste of food
=
Increase * (hunger, malnutrition, diseases, CO2
and CH4 emissions)
+
Waste * (water, energy, nutrients, habitat destruction)
Action: Adopt a citywide program that reduces the waste of food by
at least thirty per cent in seven years. (based on Action 5)

23. Thank you for your attention.
To download the report, please visit:
http://www.institut.veolia.org
http://www.unep.org
Gaëll Mainguy
Institut Veolia Environnement
Gaell.mainguy@institut.veolia.org