The co-impacts of climate action in cities

The paper examines the 'co-impacts'—both intended and unintended, positive and negative—of urban climate policies. It argues that current literature and city plans overemphasize positive co-benefits (such as improved air quality and health) while neglecting adverse effects and equity considerations. The authors propose a 'people, planet, and profit' framework to categorize these impacts across various urban strategies, including building retrofits, circular economy initiatives, and transport shifts, to help cities avoid policy backlash and ensure a just transition.

• Scientific literature on urban climate action predominantly focuses on positive effects, such as health and environmental improvements, while frequently overlooking potential adverse impacts.
• There is a significant research gap regarding which specific city actors benefit from or are harmed by climate interventions, as well as how these impacts are distributed spatially and socially.
• Urban densification, a common strategy in Swedish cities, can lead to negative environmental and social outcomes if poorly planned, including increased urban heat island effects, flood risks, and reduced resident wellbeing.
• The transition to a circular economy may offer economic benefits like GDP growth and innovation, but it can also cause job losses in traditional linear sectors and raise concerns about the quality of new employment.
• Transport electrification reduces carbon emissions and noise but introduces new negative impacts, such as increased demand for critical raw materials and non-exhaust emissions from tyre and brake wear.
• Nature-based solutions like increased green space improve mental health and air quality, but can inadvertently trap traffic-related pollution in some areas or cause ecological imbalances if carbon markets drive high-density tree plantations.
• Climate action strategies such as congestion charges or energy price hikes may improve air quality and reduce emissions, but they risk negatively impacting lower socio-economic groups if equity is not addressed.

APA

Jokiaho, J., & Vanhuyse, F. (2025). The co-impacts of climate action in cities. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/co-impacts-climate-action-cities-sei2025-001.pdf

Chicago

Jokiaho, Julia, and Fedra Vanhuyse. The co-impacts of climate action in cities. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2025. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/co-impacts-climate-action-cities-sei2025-001.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jokiaho |first1=Julia |last2=Vanhuyse |first2=Fedra |title=The co-impacts of climate action in cities |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=January 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/co-impacts-climate-action-cities-sei2025-001.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jokiaho2025coimpacts, author = {Jokiaho, Julia and Vanhuyse, Fedra}, title = {{The co-impacts of climate action in cities}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/co-impacts-climate-action-cities-sei2025-001.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }