Improvements in sustainable energy utilization in global urban areas: Insights from remote sensing surveys

This study investigates the global status of sustainable energy use in urban built-up areas (UBAs), addressing a critical data gap for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. By integrating multi-source remote sensing and gridded data from 2001 to 2019 regarding GDP, population, electricity, and carbon emissions, the researchers constructed a Sustainable Utilization Energy in Urban Built-up Areas (SUEUBA) index for 41 countries. The analysis reveals a steady global improvement, characterized by consistent progress in developed nations and a polarized performance among developing countries, where some show rapid growth while others stagnate. Major economies face distinct challenges due to complex socioeconomic conditions. These findings underscore the urgent need for differentiated policy strategies-ranging from infrastructure upgrades in high-income regions to expanded renewable access in rapidly urbanizing areas-and provide a scalable framework for monitoring and guiding sustainable urban energy transitions.