Multiple environmental inequalities between Global South and Global North in over 10,000 urban centers

Our study assesses multiple environmental inequalities between the Global South and the Global North across more than 10,000 urban centers. Three environmental indicators (CO2 emissions, air pollution (PM2.5) and greenness) are used to represent three distinct environmental roles of urban ecosystems to society and human health, respectively: destruction (cost), victimization (harm) and contribution (benefit). The difference in relative importance, temporal dynamics, and driving patterns of these three indicators is analyzed between the Global South and the Global North. The results indicate that CO₂ emissions in the Global North exceed more than twice those in the Global South, whereas the mean PM₂.₅ concentration is less than half, reflecting significantly higher environmental destruction but lower environmental victimization. Global South and Global North exhibit similar trends in greenness, yet have different causes, with the luxury effect in Global North. Socioeconomic factors shape environmental development in the Global North, while both socioeconomic factors and natural endowments do so in the Global South. Achieving equitable environmental development of global urban centers requires breaking the development dilemma of the Global South and addressing the unequal exchange patterns between the Global North and the Global South.