Building sustainable cities in the face of urbanization

The rapid population growth and urbanization, with its attendant socio-economic and environmental challenges necessitated the need to build green, climate-resilient economies for sustainable living, especially in developing countries.

By 2030, there will be 41 megacities – each with more than 10 million inhabitants, according to UN estimates. By 2050, 60% of the world’s population will live in cities – adding 2.5 billion people to the world’s urban areas.

This constant surge of urban migration will continue to strain the infrastructure and resources of cities, as well as dramatically affect every aspect of life for city residents-- from health and wellbeing, to safety to an overall quality of life. 

Urbanization will affect both the environmental and social elements of society; and ensuring that cities are built sustainably is more important than ever if people’s exposure to high levels of pollution, climate change and human migration are to be managed.

The ROCKWOOL Group, a global leader in sustainability solutions, is committing to enriching lives of people residing in highly-concentrated areas with existing technology and products.

“From energy consumption to noise pollution, water scarcity to flooding, our solutions help our customers address many of the big issues of modern living. Our range of products address the diversity of the world’s needs, supporting our stakeholders in reducing their own carbon footprint along the way,” says the Group.

African countries like Ghana are in high housing deficit and demand affordable housing schemes among solutions.

ROCKWOOL commissioned a global survey to learn from those living in the most populated cities of the world with the goal to better understand what challenges these people face as part of their everyday lives, and more importantly, what they are willing to do about it.

The study results call for a series of critical reassessments regarding consumer choice and action in addressing growing urban challenges.

For example, 33% of global energy consumption comes from buildings, yet less than 31% of those surveyed globally realize that energy-efficient buildings exist and can make a difference. 

Additionally, 90% of energy savings can come from buildings, and a significant 69% of people surveyed stated that they would be willing to pay more to live in an energy-efficient home.

ROCKWOOL believes lack of information is a major challenge for people to live in energy-efficient homes.

Among its solutions is sustainable insulation that helps reduce energy consumption and air pollution outside, while improving climates inside for better indoor wellbeing and lower energy costs.

ROCKWOOL’s stone wool is an affordable solution to reduce buildings energy demand by up to 80% by 2050 and 50-90% of energy savings can come from new and existing buildings.

Sustainable cities are ranked on three dimensions – people, planet and profit – so that a better quality of life through infrastructure and city planning can be possible. 

Sustainable living through sustainable development starts by ensuring the right building substructure is in place – one that ensures people’s indoor health and wellbeing, while also reducing the carbon footprint, and saving on energy consumption.

ROCKWOOL says taking a “triple bottom line” approach, or sustainability by financial, social and environmental performance, is key to ensuring long-term sustainability. 

“Our raw material is one of the most abundant on the planet and it has enriching capabilities: Stone wool is a healthy choice for everyone; Businesses: It increases productivity and efficiency; People: Improves comfort and safety and guards your health; Earth: Helps tackle global issues,” says the Group.