Multidimensional assessment of sustainability of Taipei and Almaty

The chapter compares economic and environmental performance of Taipei and Almaty from the point of view of a “green” economy, which is able to act as a key tool to ensure sustainable development of the region. As the comparison of the parameters of ecological and economic development of the Taipei and Almaty cities shows, they are similar in population size, but demonstrate completely different trends of sustainable development. The economic performance of Taipei is achieved with a decrease in the consumption of natural resources and the production of pollution, while the situation in Almaty is the opposite. Almaty maintains a high level of air pollution due to the use of coal in electricity production, as well as increased traffic and density of construction, including the southern part of the city, which is a zone for the transit of mountain air flows. This chapter discusses the activities jointly conducted by the Government of Taiwan and non-governmental organizations on environmental issues, as well as environmental NGOs, which resulted in significant improvements in the environmental field. Measures to stimulate the development and implementation of environmental innovations applied in the field of sustainable development in the city of Taipei can be adapted for the city of Almaty, where the environmental situation deteriorates year by year. This chapter offers a conceptual framework of green economy in the urban sustainability context; and describes the data and methods used. The achievement of the goal of openness, security, vitality and environmental sustainability of cities and settlements assumes a comprehensive assessment of their environmental, social and economic development in comparison with the best world examples. The value of Taipei’s gross regional product exceeds the GRP of Almaty by almost 1.5 times, which indicates the larger scale of economic development in Taipei with a smaller population. The economy of Taipei is developing dynamically, using more environmentally friendly transport, which significantly reduces the amount of harmful emissions in the atmosphere. The consistent and comprehensive implementation of measures by the government of Taiwan, continuing at the stage, has a positive economic, social and environmental effect in Taipei, which is planned to be extended to other regions of the country.