This article examines the issue of urban environmental sustainability as one of the key directions of reforms being implemented worldwide in the context of balanced socio-economic development of regions. The study provides an analysis of contemporary academic research on urban policies for the development of the green economy, in which cities are considered not only as objects of regulation but also as active agents of the green transition. Special attention is given to international experience in the design and implementation of comprehensive measures aimed at achieving environmental sustainability in large cities. In addition, the article analyzes greenhouse gas emissions and the availability of green spaces in the cities of Azerbaijan, as well as the measures being implemented at the national and municipal levels to promote the greening of the urban economy.