How Oxyness Supports SDG 11: Building Sustainable, Smart Cities with Better Air

What Is SDG 11 — And Why It Matters for Air Quality?

Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11), established by the United Nations, urges stakeholders to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.”

Today, this goal is more essential than ever:

• Over 4.2 billion people — more than half the world — live in urban environments
• Cities account for over 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions
• Urban areas are hotspots for pollution, heatwaves, and excessive resource use

To tackle these challenges, sustainable smart cities are implementing:

• Green spaces and restored biodiversity
• Energy-efficient buildings and smart grids
• Walkable infrastructure and clean public transit
• Intelligent waste and water management systems
• Improved Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

However, one vital element often missed in this conversation is oxygen.

The Urban Oxygen Crisis: A New Environmental Threat

While air pollution and carbon emissions dominate the conversation, there’s another metric that reflects a city’s environmental health: its oxygen balance.

In 2021, a landmark study published in Environmental Science & Technology introduced the concept of the Oxygen Index (OI), a breakthrough way to measure urban oxygen sustainability.

What Is the Oxygen Index (OI), and Why Does It Matter?

The Oxygen Index refers to the ratio of oxygen consumption to oxygen production within an urban area. It quantifies whether a city is self-sufficient in maintaining breathable, life-sustaining oxygen levels.

Understanding OI is key to urban health:

• OI = 1: Oxygen production equals consumption — a sustainable state
• OI > 100: Severe imbalance indicating higher consumption than production

The OI is influenced by:

• Vegetation and green space (oxygen producers)
• Fossil fuel burning, transportation, respiration, industry, and livestock (oxygen consumers)

Why Was the Study Conducted?

Urbanization reduces vegetation and increases energy usage. The researchers aimed to assess whether such trends compromise oxygen availability — a key determinant of human performance, cognition, and health.

This was the first effort to quantify oxygen imbalance using geospatial and climate data on a global city scale.

Key Findings: The Oxygen Imbalance in Global Cities

The findings were concerning:

• Urban areas compose only 3.8% of land but consume around 40% of terrestrial oxygen
• Oxygen production in cities is significantly lower than demand
• 75% of large cities (5M+ populations) had an OI above 100

Examples of extreme imbalance:

• Shanghai — OI: 2051
• Beijing — OI: 339
• Shenzhen — OI: 458
• Cairo — OI: 2430
• Moscow — OI: 648

Some cities had alarming levels — over 2000 in the case of Cairo and Shanghai, meaning their consumption far exceeds natural replacement capacity.

What Happens When OI Gets Too High?

Cities with elevated OI scores risk:

• Heatwaves becoming more intense and frequent
• Disrupted water cycles and increased drought conditions
• Hypoxic episodes — oxygen levels dropping below safe thresholds

When oxygen dips below 19.5%, symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, and cardiovascular stress begin. For high OI cities, this threshold can be crossed within 10 days of stagnant atmospheric conditions.

Indoor Air: The Silent Zone of Imbalance

We spend nearly 90% of our time indoors, where poor ventilation and modern efficiency-focused construction practices cause additional oxygen depletion:

• Reduced fresh-air exchange
• Increased indoor CO₂ accumulation
• Stalefied, low-oxygen microenvironments

The health effects?

• Fatigue & brain fog
• Reduced sleep quality
• Increased stress
• Lower immune response

Most HVAC systems filter air, but few restore oxygen content. That’s where Oxyness enters the scene.

Introducing Oxyness by Module 21: A New Standard for Urban Air

At Module 21, we’ve developed Oxyness, an Oxygen Restoration Technology that brings nature-grade air indoors. Forget tanks, synthetic chemicals, or duct systems — Oxyness is clean, smart, and self-contained.

How Oxyness Works:

• Draws ambient outdoor air from rooftops or walls
• Uses multistage filters to remove pollutants
• Dehumidifies for efficient oxygen separation
• Isolates oxygen using advanced molecular techniques
• Delivers oxygen-rich air directly inside

This system rebalances air naturally, improving indoor environments in homes, offices, schools, and more.

The Four Pillars of Oxyness (F.H.E.W.)

Our innovation is built on these four principles:

• Freshness: Air that feels alive and invigorating
• Happiness: Emotional stability via healthier breathing
• Effectiveness: Heightened energy, focus, and productivity
• Wellness: Stronger immunity, better sleep, faster recovery

Oxyness and SDG 11: Building Sustainable, Oxygen-Balanced Cities

SDG 11 goes beyond transportation and energy — it’s about human-centered design. Oxyness supports this vision by:

• Reducing CO₂ buildup in energy-efficient buildings
• Creating healthier indoor environments in urban areas
• Reversing the oxygen deficit trend city by city

With Oxyness technology, we can transform sealed boxes into breathable sanctuaries.

The Future of Urban Breathing Starts Now

Air is more than just a medium — it’s directly tied to wellness, performance, and emotional regulation. As cities grow denser and hotter, restoring oxygen isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.

At Module 21, we envision a future of cities that are:

• Smart
• Sustainable
• Oxygen-balanced

Breathe Better. Live Better. Experience Oxyness.

References:
Wei Y., Wu J., Huang J., Liu X., Han D., An L., Yu H., Huang J. (2021). “Declining Oxygen Level as an Emerging Concern to Global Cities.” Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 55, No.12. Available: https://ciwes.lzu.edu.cn/Weiyun.pdf