Page 74 - U4SSC Blockchain for smart sustainable cities

(4) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Sustainability could be assessed through the compliance and contribution of the B4C projects to the
SDGs. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (September 2015) by the United
Nations General Assembly aims to provide clear objectives to monitor the sustainable development
goals and inclusive growth. The SDG11 “make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable” is globally
addressing the main purpose of the B4C, but not exclusively. The use of blockchain for cities, if it
is adopted primarily for sustainability considerations, could also consolidate the support of smart,
sustainable cities to reduce poverty (SDG1), contribute to the effort towards good health and well-being
(SDG3), decent work and economic growth (SDG8), peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG16) and
the partnership for the goals (SDG17). The B4C use-cases confirmed the contribution of blockchain to
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these five SDGs. Blockchain technology could also support improvement in terms of SDG12 through the
product tracing origins application, which is a critical solution for responsible consumption. However, it
is essential to highlight that the use of blockchain for smart cities will not reduce inequalities (SDG10).
It will be most likely to work against energy consumption (SDG7). It is not clear whether the use of
blockchain will contribute positively to SDG9 relating to industry, innovation and infrastructure. Even
though the majority of the B4C use-cases consider that their blockchain solution will contribute to
SDG11, the research and data analyzed for the SDG11 show that only a limited number of IT-based
smart cities initiatives are adding value, and important challenges persist worldwide.

Figure 15: Blockchain for cities support to the SDGs

64 U4SSC: Blockchain for smart sustainable cities