Cities as transformative agents for global sustainability

There is an urgent and growing need for transformative change to address global challenges and achieve sustainability. Yet despite mounting evidence, societal responses remain incremental, fragmented, and largely inadequate. In simple terms, we must begin to do things fundamentally differently. Cities are increasingly recognized as key agents in achieving a climate-safe future, protecting biodiversity, staying within planetary and Earth system boundaries, and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cities that have been successful in transforming themselves have the potential to do much more than alter their own trajectories. They can serve as proactive nuclei for broader societal transformations. Their agency must be extended and maximized. To that end, we should reconceptualize cities as transformative agents in global sustainability.