Green Cities
Over two-thirds of global population are forecast to live in urban areas by 2050. The implications of this phenomenon are significant. Many of the world’s cities are urbanizing in a largely unplanned manner, which has high negative externalities including poor air quality, infrastructure that is not climate resilient, inadequate provisioning of basic services and a lack of social inclusion and opportunity. Cities have a vital role to play in transitioning from resource inefficient patterns of growth and increasing access to services, and in so doing, supporting the transition to green growth.
Greening cities provides opportunities to create sustainable livelihoods through providing green jobs, reducing GHG emissions, and increasing access to sustainable infrastructure and services.
GGGI’s thematic approach to green cities supports an integrated and cross-sectoral approach and responds to local, national, and global needs and commitments, through its five priority areas, namely:
1. Mainstreaming green growth into urban planning and management;
2. Resource efficient and low carbon cities;
3. Solid waste management: managing waste as resource;
4. Decentralized sanitation and wastewater solutions;
5. Sustainable transportation and mobility: connected and healthy cities.
GGGI aims to address these gaps through responding to demand in policy development at the national and municipal level, with a focus on supporting secondary and emerging cities. To support the change that is needed for urban transformation, we link project ideation to finance and build capacity which both enhances understanding of green growth in relation to cities, but also acts as a platform for identifying innovative projects for implementation. In doing so, GGGI strives to realize pro-poor, smart and inclusive cities in which sustainable urban services and green jobs are created to address the unmet needs of under-serviced and urban poor communities.
Projects
News
News • November 10, 2025
Grenada and GGGI Enhance Partnership to Advance Resilient, Green, and Affordable Housing Solutions
CASTRIES, SAINT LUCIA, November 10, 2025 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the Government of Grenada have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration in scaling up […]
News • November 7, 2025
Bogotá Leads Latin America: First City to Issue an International Green Bond with Support from the European Union and GGGI under the Global Green Bond Initiative
[Encuentre la versión en español abajo] Bogotá, Colombia, November 6, 2025 – The Mayorship of Bogotá, through the District Secretariat of Finance, successfully carried out the first international issuance of […]
News • September 15, 2025
GGGI Wraps Up Strategic Engagement at ACS2, Driving Climate Finance and Green Growth Partnerships
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – September 15, 2025 – The curtains have closed on the 2nd Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa, but the momentum it generated for Africa’s green […]
News • August 28, 2025
Viet Nam advances sustainable urban cooling, expanding climate-smart solutions in cities
Ha Noi, 28 August 2025 — The Department of Climate Change (DCC), Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) […]
News • August 28, 2025
Opportunities for Scaling-Up Resilient, Green, and Affordable Housing in the Eastern Caribbean
The Eastern Caribbean is vulnerable to the escalating impacts of climate change. As Small Island Developing States (SIDS), countries in the region face extreme weather events such as hurricanes, coastal […]
News • August 27, 2025
Kerala Hosts Building Registry, BEAT Demonstration for Low-Carbon Building Solutions under GGGI’s ALCBT Project
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, 27 August 2025 – In a major step toward advancing Kerala’s decarbonization agenda, the Global Green Growth Insitute (GGGI), together with the Energy Management Centre (EMC) and the State Designated Agency (SDA), Government of Kerala, hosted a […]
News • July 28, 2025
Lao Officials Explore Bangkok’s Urban Nature-Based Solutions Through NATURA Project Exchange
Bangkok, Thailand – June 23-27, 2025 – Lao government officials recently visited Bangkok to learn about building greener, more resilient cities. This study tour was part of the Nature-Based Solutions […]
News • June 27, 2025
GGGI ALCBT Project Launches Groundbreaking Building Emission Assessment Tool (BEAT) to Transform Construction Sector
New Web-Based Platform Set to Revolutionize Whole Life Carbon Assessment Across Asia GLOBAL, June 24, 2025 – The Asia Low Carbon Buildings Transition (ALCBT) Project, together with the Global Cement […]
News • May 19, 2025
Nuevo León State Government Deploys 20 new e-buses, enhancing clean transport solutions thanks to GGGI’s technical assistance
(SPANISH VERSIÓN BELOW) MONTERREY, NUEVO LEÓN, MAY 14, 2025 – The Government of Nuevo León launched the new Transmetro route covering Garza Sada Avenue and Carretera Nacional, with the deployment […]
News • May 14, 2025
Uzbekistan Adopts New Law on Strategic Environmental Assessment with Support from GGGI
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 2025 — The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Uzbekistan contributed to the development of Uzbekistan’s new Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) law, which will enter into force on August […]
News • April 26, 2025
An Industry Present in the Challenges of the Future: How Chihuahua is investing in the (re)design of its industrial parks
(SPANISH VERSION BELOW) Paloma Centeno, an industrial architect, recalls that she was pregnant when the water supply in her city suffered a week-long cut, due to the drought that affected […]
News • April 17, 2025
Driving Low-Carbon Transition: GGGI and BOMA Indonesia Advance Net-Zero Commercial Buildings
Jakarta, Indonesia, April 17, 2025 – Over 200 stakeholders, including government officials, industry leaders, building professionals, and private companies, gathered in Jakarta for a national seminar aimed at raising awareness […]
News • February 27, 2025
GGGI and Bappenas to mobilize investments for Indonesia’s sustainable plastic management
Jakarta, Indonesia, February 27, 2025 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) initiated a new collaboration with the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) on sustainable plastics management. According to […]
News • February 12, 2025
Strengthening Low Carbon Building Expertise in Cambodia through Training of Trainers
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 12 February 2025 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC) organized a two-day Training of Trainers (TOT) on Low […]
News • February 11, 2025
Asia Low Carbon Buildings Transition Project in Cambodia: 1st Meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 11 February 2025 – The Asia Low Carbon Buildings Transition (ALCBT) Project organized the first meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in Cambodia. The TAC is […]
News • December 17, 2024
Empowering Cambodia’s Building Sector: 300 Professionals to Receive Low-Carbon Training
Phnom Penh, December 17, 2024 – The Asia Low Carbon Buildings Transition (ALCBT) Project has launched a training program in Cambodia to promote sustainable practices in the building sector. Supported […]
News • December 6, 2024
Viet Nam and GGGI Launch the new 2024-2028 Country Plan for Green Growth and Climate Actions
Hanoi, Viet Nam – December 6, 2024 – The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) officially announce the launch of the Viet Nam-GGGI […]
News • December 6, 2024
GGGI Partners with Ireland to Advance Resilient Green Affordable Housing in the Eastern Caribbean
Castries, Saint Lucia, December 6, 2024 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the Government of Ireland (Irish Aid) have formalized a strategic partnership, enhancing access to resilient, green, […]
News • November 28, 2024
Advancing Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Uzbekistan: Key Training Sessions to Capacitate Stakeholders
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 27 November 2024 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) held a series of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) training sessions on June 27, August 16, and November 27-28, […]
News • November 26, 2024
Vientiane Capital Announces Its Green City Vision for 2030
Vientiane , Lao PDR, November 26, 2024 – Vientiane Capital and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) co-hosted a workshop to showcase the city’s Green City Action Plan (GCAP) for […]