US cities, home to more than 62% of the domestic population, are at a critical juncture, with many experiencing dangerous levels of water scarcity and drought, food insecurity, and flooding due to sea-level rise, as well as other challenges. Now, cities have received a wake-up call - and a call to action - with the publication of a new index that ranks US cities based on their progress toward reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The US Cities SDG Index, created by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), uses 49 indicators from 16 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that were agreed upon by all countries at the UN in 2015. The Index seems to indicate that all cities, even those at the top, have a long way to go in order to achieve the SDGs.
The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro region in California won the top spot, having shown to be more than 61% of the way toward achieving the SDGs, according to the Index. The San Jose area is also in the top ten for 10 of the 16 goals. Provo-Orem in Utah secured second ranking with just over 58%, followed by Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (WA) and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (CA). Four of the top 10 metro regions are in California.
The lowest performing city is Baton Rouge (LA), but rust-belt city regions like Detroit-Warren-Dearborn (MI) and Cleveland-Elyria (OH) also scored poorly due to high levels of relative poverty, acute unemployment, and high CO2 emission rates due to heavy car dependence.
Who Needs a New Index?
The original Global SDG Index established the foundation for this first US Cities SDG Index. In 2017, the Global Index ranked the US 42nd among all countries pursuing the SDGs.This, in part, prompted the creation of this US Cities SDG Index, according to the SDSN.
The group says that the data in the index provides a more comprehensive view of the sustainable development challenges faced by US cities than is available through other metrics. Jeff Sachs, director of the SDSN, says the Index might motivate "this generation" to use its skills for a "great economic and social renewal" and to reach a smart, fair, and sustainable future.
'We're Already In, but We Need Help'
Mayors of cities and towns across the country have already declared their commitment to sustainability at least once this summer. In July, the US Conference of Mayors said the group will be working with the private sector to try and achieve the goals of the Paris climate accord to keep temperature increases to no more than 2 degrees Celsius by mid century. An overwhelming number of mayors from a cross section of America’s cities are on board — both Republican and Democrat, saying that they face first hand the challenges posed by a changing climate and rising temperatures.
But commitments from local government may not be enough to help a city reach its goals. Businesses large and small must work with city government to help make cities more sustainable in order to accommodate population growth, withstand extreme weather, and fortify aging infrastructure, according to Politico.
In a discussion with mayors, policy, and funding experts, one of the topics that came up repeatedly is that mayors can see greater success in terms of making their cities more sustainable when they work directly with the business communities. In order to get buy-in from big business, city government must be able to show the potential savings that could be gained from working with the city on improvements.
