Cities and Regions are a Focus of Discussions at #COP28

While cities are responsible for 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions, they are also the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Therefore, at COP28, it’s good to see the discussion of strategies at a sub-national level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Alarmingly, many cities around the world are in places that are vulnerable to rising sea levels and/or vulnerable to intense changes to weather patterns. According to the World Economic Forum, more than 10 percent of the world’s population now resides in urban centres or quasi-urban clusters situated at less than 10 meters above sea level. These areas are especially vulnerable to flooding and storm surge impacts caused by rising sea levels driven by climate change. Climate change is causing more frequent and intense heat waves in many parts of the world, especially in urban areas where the population density and the built environment amplify the heat.?According to a National Academy of Sciences study published in October 2021, global extreme heat exposure increased nearly 200 percent from 1983 to 2016, affecting about 2 billion people living in cities.

In COP28, we have seen early results on commitments to climate financing for developing countries, which in many cases are the most vulnerable to the effects on a city level. We are also seeing different countries and regions showcase how climate action can happen on a local level.

The Joint Outcome Statement on Urbanization and Climate Change, endorsed by over 40 Ministers of Environment, Urban Development and Housing, focuses on how cities should be designed in a climate-friendly way to shield residents from the impacts of climate breakdown such as droughts, heatwaves and floods and be involved in the decision-making process on climate change.? Solutions include at replacing or retrofitting the existing building stock with net zero buildings, creating more walkable communities, improving public transit and active transportation options, and planning cooler spaces with building orientation and tree canopy.

The discussions have also focused on how financing for climate initiatives needs to make its way to the local level, as approximately 10% of finance allocated to adaptation and resilience is currently reaching the local level.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) profiled its initiatives aimed at cities. These include a Green and Resilient Retrofit Program to support energy, water efficiency retrofits and climate resilience of HUD-assisted multifamily properties, the HUD Climate Communities Initiative and its climate resilience toolkit, and its updated?CDBG-Disaster Recovery grant requirements to include a greater emphasis on climate mitigation, equity, and green building.

One of the most poignant quotes coming from the discussions came from Stefano Bonaccini, President of the region of Emilia-Romagna and president of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions. He said: “[…] it is essential to act now to achieve the goals at all levels of government: mitigation, adaptation, energy transition and safeguarding biodiversity. To do this, we need adequate resources, a supportive regulatory and governance framework, localisation and territorialisation of sustainable development goals, decentralised cooperation, and exchange of experience between municipalities and regions around the world. This is a global challenge that can best be met if we all act locally and in an accountable, inclusive, fair, equitable and partnered manner.”

Cities are global centres of innovation, and with the right national support, they have the capacity to respond quickly to opportunities in carbon reduction, resiliency, and adaptation.

Initiatives like the C40 Cities program bring the mayors of nearly one hundred cities together to share strategies and support each other to achieve climate action goals.? What is evident from COP28 is that there are mid-sized cities and less affluent developing world cities that equally and urgently require help from their peers and their national governments to prioritize and finance their actions.

By 2050, more than 70% of people are expected to live in cities. Currently this number is at around 55%. Making sure these cities are both resilient and liveable in the face of climate impacts is a global priority.

#COP28 #InsideSCOPE, read more at https://www.stantec.com/en/ideas/spotlight/conference/cop