Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42215474›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Spatiotemporal changes in inter-city sustainability impacts linked to emission challenges worldwide.

Huijuan Xiao, Cheolhee Yoo, Qihao Weng, Sheng Bao, Song Xue, Cameron Allen, Jingzheng Ren, Jian Zhou, Zhenci Xu, Mengqian Lu and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Huijuan XiaoJC STEM Lab of Earth Observations, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Cheolhee YooJC STEM Lab of Earth Observations, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3922-2300
Qihao WengJC STEM Lab of Earth Observations, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2498-0934
Sheng BaoDepartment of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2709-4863
Song XueCollege of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-9317-9926
Cameron AllenMonash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9954-6684
Jingzheng RenDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9690-5183
Jian ZhouState Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6707-6542
Zhenci XuDepartment of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. xuzhenci@hku.hk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4123-077X
Mengqian LuOtto Poon Center for Climate Resilience and Sustainability; World Sustainable Development Institute, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China. cemlu@ust.hk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8787-5621
Jianguo LiuCenter for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6344-0087

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Atmospheric emissions pose significant challenges to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As key sources of emissions, cities are also critical actors in driving sustainable transitions. Their performance on emission-related SDG indicators is shaped not only by local factors but also by inter-city interactions. However, the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of these interactions remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate inter-city SDG interactions across 4,116 cities worldwide from 2010 to 2020, and simulate SDG performance under five interaction scenarios, including isolated and collaborative conditions. Results reveal that a 10% improvement in SDG 11.6 (particulate matter), SDG 12.4 (gaseous pollutants), and SDG 13.2 (greenhouse gases) in other cities can boost the focal city's performance by 0.450%, 0.390%, and 0.200%, respectively. Most cities (93.51%) are influenced by other cities. Inter-city coordination can improve SDG performance by 10.81% compared to isolated efforts. These findings highlight the importance of coordinated strategies to enhance urban sustainability.

Identifiers

PMID42215474
PMCPMC13388694

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.