From bustling cities to rural villages, communities come in many shapes and sizes. As climate change intensifies, each has a role to play in embracing a greener future.

The path to sustainability is as diverse as the communities themselves. Urban areas occupy 3% of earth’s land—but they take up 80% of the world’s energy and emit 70% of all carbon emissions. Yet rural areas can emit more greenhouse gases per capita if fossil fuels are present. Across communities, the greening process requires one shared need: renewable energy. 

Sustainable Development Goal 11—”sustainable cities and communities”—offers a vision for a cleaner future. By expanding renewable energy globally, we can make this vision a reality. And by leveraging technology like off-grid solar, we can ensure no one is left behind.

Understanding the Urban–Rural Sustainability Gap

Across the world, the contrast between urban and rural environments shapes how communities experience climate change. Urban centers deal with overcrowding, polluted air, heavy traffic, and rising temperatures caused by heat islands. Rural communities, on the other hand, struggle with limited infrastructure, unreliable energy access, and slow economic growth.

This sustainability gap widens social and economic inequalities. When cities grow rapidly without planning, they strain water, energy, and transport systems. Meanwhile, rural regions fall behind, unable to attract investment or create job prospects.

Solar energy becomes a bridging force—creating balance between these two worlds. It decentralizes energy access, reduces pressure on overstretched urban systems, and empowers rural communities with economic independence, sustainable infrastructure, and improved public services.

An Overview of Goal 11

Sustainable Development Goal 11 aims to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.” Cities are home to more than half of the world’s population, and generate 80% of global GDP. But they can also perpetuate social inequality and environmental damage. Better planning and management will empower cities to be models of sustainable development. 

Here’s where we stand on key targets of Goal 11:

• 1.1 billion people live in information urban settlements. Without further action, this number will grow to two billion people by 2050. 
• Only 51.6% of the world’s urban population has access to public transportation.  
• In 2021, global disasters affected 101.8 million people and caused $252.1 billion in economic loss.
• 99% of the world’s population breathes polluted air. 
• 1 billion people lack access to all-weather roads.

Many cities are buckling under the pressure of migration, while grappling with an overflow of waste, traffic, disaster, and economic strife. Meanwhile, rural areas continue to lack access to basic services. With Goal 11, renewables play a central role in uplifting communities, and allowing people and the planet to thrive together.

Why Renewable Energy Is a Foundation for SDG Progress

Sustainable Development Goal 11 is closely linked with other SDGs, particularly those focused on poverty reduction, clean energy, health, climate action, and economic development. Without clean, reliable energy, progress on these goals happens slowly or unevenly.

Here’s how renewable energy directly supports broader global development:

• Aligns with SDG 7 by enabling affordable and clean energy for all.
• Boosts SDG 3 by powering healthcare facilities, cold chains, and air filtration systems.
• Supports SDG 4 by enabling digital learning tools in schools.
• Advances SDG 8 by creating green jobs and supporting new businesses.
• Strengthens SDG 13 through reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

This interconnection shows how clean energy is not just a component of sustainability—it is the engine driving long-term transformation and resilience across communities globally.

5 Ways Solar Energy Creates Sustainable Communities

Nearly 1 billion people today lack access to electricity. Most of these people live where there is no connection to the electric grid. Others live in places with grid access but experience intermittent or insufficient electricity. This impacts the delivery of crucial services. Solar energy works independently of the electric grid, powering hospitals, schools, homes, and businesses in the most rural settings. It can also support resilience in urban areas, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Solar energy stabilizes migration, enables clean transportation, and builds resilience. It creates safe and livable communities in 5 key ways:

• Servicing informal urban settlements. Safe housing is a human right. But for billions of people, shelter is already hard enough to get. Informal urban settlements are defined by overcrowded homes, lack of basic services, and insecure tenure. In some countries, 90% of the population live in these areas. Solar energy powers affordable services for residents, enabling clean water, cooking, and education.
• Preventing migration. Informal settlements are a result of extreme migration. A common source of migration is poor rural services. People move to cities in search of things like improved healthcare or job prospects. Off-grid solar prevents migration by bringing these services and opportunities to rural communities. 
• Greening transport. Less than one-third of city dwellers in sub-Saharan Africa have easy access to public transportation. This makes accessing essential services difficult. Solar energy can power public transport systems sustainably. 
• Fighting air pollution. If you live in a city, the air you breathe likely exceeds the limit set by the World Health Organization. Every year, 7 million people die from indoor and outdoor air pollution. Renewable energy reduces pollutants by eliminating toxic emissions. Clean energy can also power modern cooking systems, which remains a huge need especially in rural areas.
• Building resilience. When solar panels are installed on homes and public infrastructure, they ensure greater energy security. During emergencies, energy allows for the continuity of essential services and creates a lifeline for emergency responders. In remote communities, mini-grids power lighting, appliances, and small businesses—building economic resilience and sustainable futures.

Innovations in Solar Technology for Sustainable Communities

Solar technology is evolving rapidly, offering smarter, more adaptable solutions for both urban and rural communities. Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) allow solar panels to be installed directly into rooftops, walls, or windows, generating energy without taking up additional space. Solar microgrids can provide reliable electricity to remote areas while integrating with existing grids, ensuring resilience during natural disasters or outages.

In cities, smart solar-powered lighting and sensors optimize energy consumption and reduce waste. In rural regions, solar-powered cold storage and irrigation systems help farmers maintain productivity while conserving water and energy. These innovations demonstrate that solar energy is not only a power source—it’s a tool for creating sustainable, adaptive, and resilient communities worldwide.

Solar Energy and Economic Empowerment

Beyond environmental impact, solar energy plays a crucial role in building local economies. By providing reliable electricity, communities—especially rural ones—gain opportunities that were previously out of reach.

Solar energy fosters economic empowerment in several ways:

✔ Supporting small businesses: Shops, tailors, repair centers, phone charging stations, and other micro-businesses rely on consistent power to operate and grow.

✔ Enabling agricultural progress: Solar-powered irrigation, dryers, grinders, and cold storage help farmers reduce waste, increase crop yields, and access better markets.

✔ Creating green jobs: Installation, maintenance, distribution, and technical support open new career pathways, particularly for youth and women.

✔ Reducing energy expenses: Solar offers long-term financial relief, especially in regions that depend on expensive diesel generators.

When communities experience economic uplift through clean energy, they become more resilient, self-sustaining, and better equipped to adapt to climate and financial shocks.

Connections in Action: A Blend of Old and New

Nestled outside the town of Koudougou in Burkina Faso is a school unlike any other. Eucalyptus wood, woven around classrooms, provides shade and stillness from the elements. Locally harvested laterite stones keep the interiors cool. The chalky ceiling diffuses the daylight—illuminating the school while reflecting excess heat.

The Lycée Schorge Secondary School is a project that explores the potential of sustainable construction. By using local materials derived from the earth, designers turn to traditional methods to meet the targets of Goal 11. Lycée Schorge blends efficient design—such as curved rooftops and heat-resistant walls to keep the temperature low—with renewable energy to power the essentials.

Around the world, sustainable buildings foster resilience. When villagers use natural, sustainable materials to build homes, they reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow down the effects of climate change. At the same time, traditional construction techniques save lives when disaster strikes. 

By investing in architecture that prioritizes people and the planet, we’re rebuilding the past and embracing the future. 

Community-Led Solar Initiatives

Sustainable communities thrive when local residents are active participants in their energy solutions. Community-led solar initiatives empower neighborhoods to manage and benefit from clean energy directly. In some regions, villages form solar cooperatives that provide electricity to schools, healthcare centers, and small businesses, creating jobs and stimulating local economies.

Solar energy also enables access to education and healthcare in underserved areas. Students can study after sunset under solar lighting, while clinics can store vaccines and medicines safely. By placing clean energy in the hands of communities, these initiatives build economic independence, strengthen social cohesion, and promote environmental stewardship—ensuring that sustainability grows from the ground up.

Looking Forward: Solar Energy and Sustainable Communities

The quest for sustainable communities holds deep ambitions: quality education and career opportunities, safe and affordable housing, economies that grow—without damaging the planet.

Investing in Goal 11 now matters more than ever. Renewable energy eases the divide between urban and rural communities by powering opportunity and equality, and connecting the social fabric of our world. When developers and planners implement solar energy, they unlock sustainable, resilient futures for all.