Why Commercial Sustainability? 3. Urban risk Urban risk combines two However, the speed and scale of Almost half a billion urban factors: On one front, location urbanization bring challenges, residents live in coastal areas, and exposure to hazards, and including meeting accelerated increasing their vulnerability to on the other front, increased demand for affordable housing, storm surges and sea level rise. vulnerability due to poor local well-connected transport In the 136 biggest coastal cities, governance, environmental systems, other infrastructures, there are 100 million people – or degradation, and the and essential services, as well as 20% of their population – and overstretching of resources within jobs, particularly for the nearly US$4.7 trillion in assets exposed urban cities. 1 Billion urban poor who live in to coastal floods. Around 90% of Today, some 56% of the informal settlements to be near urban expansion in developing world’s population – 4.4 billion opportunities. Cities consume countries is near hazard-prone inhabitants – live in cities. two-thirds of global energy areas and built through informal By 2045, the world’s urban consumption and account for and unplanned settlements. population will increase by more than 70% of greenhouse 1.5 times to 6 billion. 20% of gas emissions. Listen now the population lives in coastal Cities play an increasingly Jonathan Jackson cities. With more than 80% of important role in tackling climate & Dr. Avi Baruch global GDP generated in cities, change because their exposure Predicting and urbanization can contribute to to climate and disaster risk preventing sustainable growth if managed increases as they grow. Think flood risk well by increasing productivity, about floods and wildfires. allowing innovation and new ideas to emerge.