By John Thwaites for the Brisbane Times.

Originally published September 25, 2015.

Melbourne, Bangalore, Jakarta and Rio de Janeiro have something in common: they are growing fast and need to manage the social and environmental impacts of fast-growing and sprawling populations. In some ways, Melbourne has more in common with the fast growing cities of the developing world than the old cities of Europe.

Melbourne is regularly voted one of the most liveable cities in the world but it is far from being the most sustainable, with our high carbon emissions, dependency on cars and a growing divide between residents of inner and outer suburbs in job opportunities, incomes, and services.

This week the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals that will guide global development until 2030. These goals will apply to all countries, including Australia. They are not legally binding, but all countries are expected to commit to implementing them and using the goals and targets in national planning.