UrbanShift: Accelerating the Shift to Nature-Positive and Climate-Proof Urban Futures

 Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 14:30-16:00 CEST

Join the event online here: World Urban Forum 11 (socio.events)

The need for cities to transform their development trajectory has never been more urgent. Emissions are rising, cities being responsible for 70% of global greenhouse emissions, so are climate impacts on urban communities. For cities to make peace with nature and achieve a sustainable urban future that supports both people and the planet, business as usual is not an option: new planning and governance models are crucial, and we need to implement them with all hands-on deck. 

Nature-positive and climate-proof urban development can only be scaled up through multi-level governance, effective business models, and integrated approaches. The UrbanShift programme supports more than 23 cities in building equitable, low-carbon futures and seeks to accelerate a movement of urban innovation among cities that reverberates around the world. 

This session will showcase ongoing efforts to uptake approaches to urban development aligned with the need to take urgent climate action by UrbanShift cities and countries. It will highlight their leadership and ambition in building equitable, zero-carbon futures where both people and planet can thrive. The event will enable exchanges on best practices among cities and between local and national governments, across regions.

Objectives

• Showcase best practices and leadership of UrbanShift cities and countries
• Enable exchanges of best practices and lessons learned vertically and horizontally
• Raise ambition of local and national governments in delivering transformational action on sustainable urbanisation practices that support nature positive urban development, climate mitigation, and increased resilience for urban communities
• Highlight opportunity of sustainable urbanisation as a contribution to climate ambition, a green and resilient recovery, and the achievement of the SDGs

Session speakers

• Ms Sonja Leighton-Kone, Acting Deputy Executive Director, UN Environment Programme
• Mr Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, India
• Mr Modesto Alpízar, Mayor, City of Alajuelita, Costa Rica
• Mrs Priscilla Negreiros, Project Manager, Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance, Climate Policy Initiative
• Mr Rogier van den Berg, Acting Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
• Mr Aloke Barnwal, Senior Climate Change Specialist, Global Environment Facility