Future Urbanisation and Habitat: Transitioning Towards Climate Responsive and Sustainable Development

Besides contributing to around 85% of the global GDP, G20 countries will play a critical role in setting the future path of urbanisation as they contributed to around 67% of the global urban population in 2023. Moreover, India and China are the two most populous G20 member countries housing the most populated megacities like New Delhi, Shanghai, Beijing, and Mumbai among others. Most of these megacities face challenges like congestion, housing shortage, unequal access to urban services, and unplanned growth. On the contrary, many European cities are experiencing population shrinkage without much reduction in their carbon footprint. Notably, G20 countries contribute to 80% of the global carbon emissions, owing to economic production, weak planning and policy structure, and ineffective environmental regulations. Also, sprawl development is common across them, and is a major contributor to carbon emissions. Previous G20 summits have already acknowledged the role of cities in the ‘race to zero’ and highlighted the critical role of the ‘circular economy’ in reducing carbon footprint. The UN Habitat has also identified strengthening of urban rural linkages to build sustainable habitats. In light of the above, this chapter aims to identify the global demographic trajectory and development challenges with particular reference to the G20 countries. It highlights deficiencies in planning ‘zero carbon cities’ and discusses the merits of Mission LiFE proposed by India as a tool to plan for carbon neutral cities and habitats. The chapter suggests that by adopting mindful consumption behaviour, the future urbanisation can be more sustainable and help the countries to be on track with the global goals.