Sustainable Cities and Communities
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
4
Solutions
3
Projects
4
Investors
Matched solutions
Technologies that deliver this SDG
Ranked by SDG fit, technology readiness and economics. Click any solution for full vendor & financial details.
- TRL 9
TransitLink Mobility
Electric BRT Depot & 100 Buses
Turnkey electric Bus Rapid Transit system: buses, depot, charging, software.
- CAPEX
- $90B–$140B
- ROI
- 7.5%
- SDG fit
- 10/10
90/100Direct SDG fitProven at TRL 9Bankable ROI (7.5%) - TRL 8
UrbanHeat District
5th-Generation District Heating Network
Low-temperature bidirectional district energy using waste heat and ground-source heat pumps.
- CAPEX
- $25B–$90B
- ROI
- 9.0%
- SDG fit
- 10/10
88/100Direct SDG fitProven at TRL 8Bankable ROI (9.0%) - TRL 9
Terraform Circular
Municipal Organic Waste to Biogas
Anaerobic digestion of mixed organic waste to biogas + CNG + digestate fertilizer.
- CAPEX
- $14B–$22B
- ROI
- 13.0%
- SDG fit
- 8/10
81/100Strong SDG alignmentProven at TRL 9Bankable ROI (13.0%) - TRL 9
AquaCore Systems
50 MLD Seawater RO Desalination
Reverse-osmosis seawater desalination plant, 50 million litres per day, with ERD and brine management.
- CAPEX
- $80B–$130B
- ROI
- 8.5%
- SDG fit
- 7/10
72/100Strong SDG alignmentProven at TRL 9Bankable ROI (8.5%)
Country projects
Where this SDG is being delivered today
Real and pilot projects already mapped to this goal. Useful as references and as co-investment opportunities.
- 🇧🇷 Brazil·PILOT
São Paulo Electric BRT Corridor
São Paulo's transport sector is the largest urban emissions contributor. Legacy diesel buses face compliance and operating cost pressures.
- Budget
- $180M
- ESG impact
- 80/100
83/100 - 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates·IMPLEMENTATION
UAE Sharjah Coastal Desalination
Sharjah's population is growing at 4% per year with water demand outpacing supply. Existing plants face brine disposal challenges.
- Budget
- $120M
- ESG impact
- 68/100
71/100 - 🇻🇳 Vietnam·IDEA
Vietnam Circular Cities Initiative
Vietnam's mid-size cities generate 38,000 tpd of MSW with <15% recycling. Methane from landfills is a growing emissions source.
- Budget
- $210M
- ESG impact
- 78/100
51/100
Active capital
Investors & funds with track record on this SDG
Surfaced from existing project commitments and editorial fit scores.
- FUND·France
Emerging Infrastructure Bank
Senior debt and mezzanine for infrastructure projects in emerging markets. 30+ year tenor.
78/1003 active projects on this SDGConcessional capital available - INVESTOR·United States
Lighthouse Impact Capital
Growth-stage impact fund, $2.1B AUM, sectors: energy transition, water, food systems.
64/1002 active projects on this SDG - INVESTOR·United Arab Emirates
Meridian Frontier Partners
Frontier-markets private equity focused on infrastructure and climate adaptation.
53/100Active on this SDGAvg fit 94/100 - INVESTOR·Japan
Sunrise Equity Partners
Asia-Pacific infrastructure and sustainable mobility investor with $4.5B committed.
51/100Active on this SDGAvg fit 91/100
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