WRI Ross Center COP27 Resource Hub
The 27th Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meets November 6-18, 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. COP27 comes at a critical moment as climate impacts are being felt more acutely around the world, from withering heat to devastating floods, and other crises compound these effects. Now is a moment for solidarity, accountability and innovation.
WRI Ross Center experts are leading initiatives and tracking progress throughout the UN climate negotiations. Explore WRI Ross Center events below.
Follow us on Twitter @WRIRossCities.
For all WRI events and resources, visit the COP27 Resource Hub.
This page is updated regularly.
Resources
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| 3 Essentials for Integrated Urban Climate Action | Where Do We Stand on COP26 Climate Promises? A Progress Report | What We Need for a Successful COP27 |
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| Recommended Actions by Actor to Achieve More Equitable and Sustainable Cities | Sustainable Urban Mobility in the NDCs: The Essential Role of Public Transport |
Events
Tuesday, November 8
Blended Finance Solutions and Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships to Scale Water Resilience
Of the $100 billion in private investment towards water since 1990 only 1% has been received in sub-Saharan Africa. Addressing water-related needs, stresses, and shocks in a manner that is low-carbon and sustainable is therefore the biggest investment opportunity that will underpin all other development in the continent and across the globe. Hosted at the Water Climate Pavilion Finance Day (co-curated with ADB & AfDB) this session will showcase several initiatives and partnerships that are blending public and private investment and know-how to accelerate investment in high-impact water resilience solutions – including the ACWA Fund & Platform. The session will spotlight real-life examples of projects and outcomes achieved through partnerships between financing initiatives - elevating water resilience as a policy and investment priority in subnational, national, regional, and international development and climate agendas for increased and scaled action.
Time: 12:00 – 13:30 EET
Location: Water Pavilion, Blue Zone
Speakers:
- Ede Ijjasz, Former Regional Director, World Bank
- Smita Rawoot, World Resources Institute
- Ms. Stientje van Veldhoven, World Resources Institute
- Jochen Renger, GIZ
- Kathryn Pharr, WaterAid
- Martin Shouler, Arup
- Binayak Das, Water Integrity Network
- Yasmine Abdel-Maksoud, American University in Cairo
- David Ramos, HSBC
- Nick O'Donohoe, British International Investment
- Rami Ghandour, Metito
- Colin McQuistan, Practical Action
Sparking Change: Film and Science Together for Desirable Urban Futures
We all desire, want and need a better urban future for all. This can only be reached by working together: from artists, and youth to scientists, policymakers, private sector and communities. This session showcases the huge power of narratives developed by artists, based on local demands and rooted in science to inspire and trigger urgent climate action. In this film screening event, Oscar-award winner producer Dirk Wilutzky will present a short-film from a series to inspire deep transformation towards bolder climate action in cities. The movies were created as part of the Transformative Urban Coalition’s project of UNU-EHS, WRI, IIED and IDOS under the International Climate Initiative. The film presents an interview with global thought leader Christiana Figueres, sharing an overview of the global challenges facing society today, the available solutions, and what concrete actions individuals can take.
Time: 15:00 – 15:40 EET
Location: Action Hub, Blue Zone
Wednesday, November 9
But What Does That Have to Do with Me? The Role of Coalitions to Foster Long-Term Climate Action in Cities
How to better raise awareness to multiple urban realities and how to translate them into compelling narratives to enable urban climate action? This is very much needed as one of the biggest obstacles to ambitious urban climate action is that it seems to be a distant threat and that there are supposedly bigger and more urgent problems to solve in cities. That is particularly true for the most vulnerable groups of society whose critical knowledge and capacity gaps often hinder them from making their voices heard in co-developing more just and livable futures for all. This session will contribute to closing these crucial gaps by showcasing an approach to 1) collect climate change perceptions from urban communities, with a focus on most vulnerable dwellers; 2) process this data; and 3) translate it into capacitation strategies and training material.
Time: 15:45 – 16:45 EET
Location: Capacity Building Hub, Blue Zone
Speakers:
- Michael Doust, Director of Urban Efficiency and Climate, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
'The Cities We Want' Photo Exhibit
Winners announcement and exhibition of "Visions of Your #DesirableCity" IKI Transformative Urban Coalitions photo competition.
Time: 18:00 EET
Location: Capacity Building Hub, Blue Zone
Thursday, November 10
Green Finance for Active Mobility
Compared to the alternatives, walking, and cycling networks provide the lowest emissions and most affordable, cost-efficient accessible modes of transport. However, active mobility is often dismissed as a small player in discussions on climate change and equity. This panel discussion will highlight the importance of shifting towards active mobility for achieving transport decarbonization and more equitable mobility through a special focus on investing and financing active travel infrastructure. Drawing from their diverse experiences and backgrounds, the panel will present an array of policy recommendations and strategies to incentivize investing in safe, active transport through the potential creation of a $1 billion dedicated Active Mobility Fund for low- and middle-income countries. The panel discussion will consist of a conversation between mobility and transport practitioners and financiers on the barriers, benefits, and structure of the fund.
Time: 17:30 – 19:00 EET
Location: Benelux Pavilion, Blue Zone
Speakers:
- Stientje van Veldhoven, Vice President and Regional Director for Europe, WRI
Equity and Climate Solutions in Cities: Accelerating Actions by Key Actors
This event, in partnership with Slum Dwellers International and Mahila Housing Trust, will demonstrate how national, state, city/metropolitan governments, civil society and the private sector can collaborate to make cities around the world more equitable and sustainable. It will highlight strategies to tackle inequities and climate jointly in cities by focusing on urban infrastructure and service delivery in the areas of land and housing, water, sanitation, transportation and energy. WRI will launch a guidance document on how these key actors can center equity in climate mitigation and adaptation actions involving these key urban services that affect people's lives. The guidance is based on WRI's flagship World Resources Report, Seven Transformations for More Equitable and Sustainable Cities.
Time: 15:00 – 16:30 EET
Location: Multi-Level Action Pavilion (also labeled "ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability"), Blue Zone
Speakers:
- Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO, WRI
- Luis Donaldo Colosio, Mayor of Monterrey, Mexico
- Frannie Léautier, CEO of Southbridge Investments
- Joseph Muturi, Chair of Slum Dwellers International
- Bijal Brahmbhatt, Director, Mahila Housing SEWA Trust
- Carlos Lopes, Professor, Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town
Clean Air Catalyst: A Multi-Level Approach to Accelerating Clean Air and Climate Action
This session highlights the importance of integrated objectives and collaboration in the Clean Air Catalyst, a global partnership launched by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2020, led by World Resources Institute and Environmental Defense Fund. Representatives from the partnership and three pilot cities will share their approach to scaling up a multi-city program to accelerate locally tailored solutions to air pollution that also tackle climate change, improve human health and address gender and income inequality.
Time: 16:45 – 17:45 EET
Location: Multi-Level Action Pavilion (also labeled "ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability"), Blue Zone, Link to Zoom session (passcode: 454971)
Speakers:
- Genevieve Maricle, Senior Advisor, Climate and Environment, USAID
- Pratibha Pal, Indore Municipal Commissioner (virtual)
- H.E Sakaja Arthur Johnson, Governor of Nairobi City County (TBC)
- John Kioli, Chairman Kenya Climate Change Working Group and Executive Director Green Africa Foundation
- Sarah Vogel, Senior VP of Health, Environmental Defense Fund (virtual)
- Koni Samadhi, WRI Indonesia Country Director
- Michael Doust, World Resources Institute
Friday, November 11
Buildings Showdown
This session will focus on educating the audience on building decarbonization and the role buildings play in helping us reach our climate goals. The event will be in a game show format – akin to Jeopardy. Three buildings experts will test their knowledge about net zero buildings and the challenges government and businesses face in implementing action. Along the way, we'll hear how simple steps in decarbonizing the built environment can have huge climate, economic, and social impacts on our communities!
Time: 10:00 – 10:40 EET, Watch the livestream
Location: Climate Action Hub, Blue Zone
Speakers:
- Cristina Gamboa, CEO, WGBC
- Gianpiero Nacci, Director of Sustainable Business and Infrastructure, EBRD
- Santiago Creuheras Díaz, Undersecretary of Environmental Management and Energy Sustainability of the State of Puebla
Financing Low-Carbon, Resilient and Inclusive Cities Through Multi-Level Governance
Cities already account for 70% of global CO2 emissions from energy use; left unaddressed, emissions will continue to rise as urbanization accelerates, especially in developing countries. Cities are also at the forefront of climate change vulnerability: 70% of cities are already experiencing harmful impacts to their citizens and infrastructure as a result of climate change.
Cities are not only critical to delivering a green and just transition while limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, they also offer an enormous economic opportunity. Research has shown that a bundle of technically feasible low-carbon measures could cut emissions from buildings, transport, materials use and waste in cities by almost 90% by 2050; support 45 million jobs in 2050, and generate energy and material savings worth $23.9 trillion by 2050. Raising the investment required to seize this opportunity however requires collaboration. Cities, regions, national governments and investors must work together to not only increase access to finance but also target it innovatively and strategically. This event will bring together experts and practitioners to discuss and share examples of how to effectively finance low carbon, resilient and inclusive cities through multi-level action.
Time: 12:00-13:30 EET
Location: Multi-Level Action Pavilion (also labeled "ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability"), Blue Zone, Join via Zoom (passcode: 7664)
Speakers:
- Ani Dasgupta, President & CEO, WRI
- Governor Samuel Garcia, Nuevo León, Mexico
- Lord Mayor Lowe of Banjul, the Gambia, Vice Chair of the Global Parliament of Mayors
- Dr. Barbara Buchner, Global Managing Director, Climate Policy Initiative
- Sheela Patel, Founder and Director, Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC) India
- Joseph Muturi, Chair of the Board, Slum Dwellers International
- Hilen Meirovich, Head of Climate at the IDB Invest
- Crispian Olver, Executive Director, Presidential Climate Commission, South Africa
Saturday, November 12
Call to Action: How Can National and Local Governments Scale Finance for Urban Climate Adaptation and Resilience?
"The Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA), a member of UrbanShift’s Partnership Engagement Group, will convene city leaders, national policymakers and climate finance experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities for scaling urban climate adaptation finance.
Ahead of the event, CCFLA will publish a call to action with key messages for national policymakers to consider regarding urban climate adaptation finance. This event will serve as the formal launch of the call and open the dialogue with relevant stakeholders.
Time: 14:00 – 15:15 EET
Location: Resilience Hub, Blue Zone
Monday, November 14
Urban Low-Carbon Action Towards China's Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Goals
This event is hosted by the Climate Change Department of Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and undertaken by National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, World Resources Institute and Tsinghua University. Government officials, international organizations, research institutions and other experts in this field will be invited and discuss urban action on low-carbon aimed at carbon peak and carbon neutralization, share experiences and urban cases.
Time: 9:00 – 11:30 EET
Location: China Pavilion
Speakers:
- Fang Li, Chief Representative, World Resources Institute (USA) Beijing Representative
- Li Zheng, President, Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua University
- Sun Zhen, Counsel, Climate Change Department, Ministry of Ecology and Environment
- Xu Huaqing, Director General, National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation
- Rogier van den Berg, Acting Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
- Dong Suocheng, Director, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (online)
- Wang Lei, Deputy Director, Hangzhou Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau (online)
- Sun Zhenqing, Executive Dean, Institute for Carbon Neutrality, Tianjin University of Science and Technology (online)
- Zhang Guangyong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Lvliang Municipal Committee, Mayor of Lvliang Municipal People’s Government (online)
- Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, online
- Jarl Krausing, Deputy CEO and International Director, CONCITO
- Su Feng, Vice District Mayor, Shenzhen Yantian District, online
- Sherry Lian, Founder and CEO, Sichuan Lvdoya Information Technology Co.,ltd
- Stephen Hammer, Advisor, Global Partnerships and Strategy, World Bank Group
- Chen Boping, Regional Director for East Asia (China), C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
- Li Weiqi, Executive Director, Sichuan Energy Internet Research Institute, Tsinghua University, online
- Cao Ying, Deputy Director, Department of Policy Research, National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (online)
Building Urban Water Resilience in Africa: Accelerating Investment and Collaboration for Impact
Water will be the defining resource in our urban future as it will determine how and where we live, our economic successes and failures, and our growth. This session will deep dive into building water resilience in African cities, what this means and how we collectively catalyze action. This will be followed by the launch of the African Cities Water Adaptation Platform (ACWA Platform), a pan-African coalition working in concert with the new ACWA Fund. The launch will feature a presentation on the vision of the ACWA Platform and the offer of support it provides to cities, including hearing from city stakeholders and key technical assistance partners and lessons learned during the Platform’s development. Finally, a call to action will be stated to garner momentum and bring other voices into the launch of this open initiative.
The ACWA Platform is a growing coalition of 21 endorsing partners (including cities, research institutes, civil society actors, development agencies, national governments, businesses, private sector investment groups, national banks, professional consultancies and associations) joining forces to advance urban water resilience in Africa. The ACWA Platform has been developed through deep engagement with a diverse group of institutions and individuals, resulting in broad consensus on a set of strategic priorities, principles (as identified in the 2030 Joint Agenda for Urban Water Resilience in Africa) and a strong call for implementation.
Time: 10:00 – 12:00 EET
Location: Multi-Level Action Pavilion (also labeled "ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability"), Blue Zone
Speakers:
- Kobie Brand, ICLEI Africa
- Rogier van den Berg, World Resources Institute
- Aklilu Fikresilassie, World Resources Institute
- Dana Omran, Resilient Cities Network
- Themba Gumbo, CAP-Net UNDP
- Jane Weru, Akiba Mashinani Trust
Catalyzing Innovative Finance for Strengthened Water Resilience in African Cities
African cities face an enormous deficit in public and private infrastructure spending, which impacts human health, climate resilience and economic vitality. This session will feature the launch of the African Cities Water Adaptation Fund (ACWA Fund), a pan-African initiative with the aim of channeling $5 billion towards urban water resilience solutions in 100 African cities by 2032, and elevate other innovative financing solutions that are being developed by state and non-state actors to address the gaps in water and sanitation and water resources financing in Africa.
The session will be an opportunity for leaders to discuss the barriers and opportunities to establishing cooperative relationships between emergent funds. We will explore how funds can work together and deliver impactful climate resilient water finance that prioritizes local governments, centers the most vulnerable and ensures a water-resilient future for all. We will bring together these funds and facilities along with city governments in South Africa, Rwanda, and Ethiopia to challenge and discuss how we can connect the dots between initiatives so that the sum of efforts is greater than the parts.
Time: 15:00 –16:30 EET
Location: Lotus Action Room, Blue Zone
Speakers:
- Wanjira Maathai, Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships, World Resources Institute
- Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN High Level Champion
- Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, Special Adviser & Africa Director, UN High-Level Climate Champions
- Ani Dasgupta, President, World Resources Institute
- Hon. Pudence Rubingisa, Mayor City of Kigali (Rwanda)
- Hon. Thembisile Nkadimeng, Deputy Minister, DCOG, South Africa
- Mohammed Mussie, General Manager, Dire Dawa Water & Sanitation Utility Company (Ethiopia)
- Patrick Njoroge, Akiba Mashinani Trust
- Kobie Brand, ICLEI Africa Regional Director and Deputy Secretary General ICLEI
- Rogier Van Den Berg, Acting Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
- Alex Simalabwi, Director Africa (Water) Investment Program (AIP)
- Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO Co-op (Corporate partner, Water Unite Impact Fund)
- Andrea Erickson-Quiroz, Managing Director for Water Security, The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
- Dana Omran, Director for Global Strategy & Africa, Resilient Cities Network
Tuesday, November 15
Towards Meaningful Investment in Public Transport, Walking and Cycling – SLOCAT Transport Day
SLOCAT, sponsored by WRI and others are hosting a Transport Day at the Multi-Level Action Pavilion. The program will include a call to action around cycling, walking and public transport solutions, including e-buses, a spotlight on Africa, how to prioritize needs and opportunities, and discussion of what it will take to bring investment to scale. The event will also launch a paper as part of SUM4All, Unlocking Public Transport’s Potential to Deliver on Climate and Sustainable Development: 6 Strategic Areas of Action to Address. WRI is co-chair with World Bank of SUM4All working group that led development of the paper.
Time: 9:00 - 12:00 EET
Location: Multi-Level Action Pavilion (also labeled "ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability"), Blue Zone
Speakers:
- Felipe Ramírez, Director of Urban Mobility, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
Two Sides of the Same Coin: Climate Resilience and Ecological Resilience
There is no “climate-secure” world without an ecologically secure world. Healthy freshwater ecosystems, including their watersheds, underpin climate resilience and water security. However, freshwater ecosystems around the world are collapsing, threatening biodiversity and ultimately us. This session will explore opportunities for increased investment in nature-based solutions to protect global freshwater ecosystems, including new approaches and tools at multiple scales (watershed level collective action, national planning and regulatory reform, connection to policy and decision makers [i.e. Paris Agreement, Post-2020 GBF, the 2030 Agenda, etc.], and most importantly deep connections to communities in watersheds).
Time: 11:00 - 12:00 EET
Location: Water Pavilion, Blue Zone
Speakers:
- Susan Chomba, Director of Vital Landscapes for Africa, WRI
UrbanShift: Catalyzing Climate Action with Nature-Positive Cities
Hosted by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and partners of the WRI Ross Center UrbanShift project, this event will showcase ongoing efforts to leverage nature-based approaches as a response to the climate crisis. We’ll hear from national and local leaders, as well as experts from the UrbanShift global platform, on how to harness the power of nature and nature-based solutions to build a sustainable urban future where both people and planet can thrive. This event will also mark the launch of the inaugural UrbanShift annual report.
Time: 13:30 – 15:00 EET
Location: GEF Pavilion, Blue Zone, Watch the livestream
Speakers:
- Maryke van Staden, Director of ICLEI’s carbonn Climate Center, ICLEI
- Susan Gardner, Director Ecosystems Division, UN Environment Programme
- Aloke Barnwal, Coordinator, Sustainable Cities Program, Global Environment Facility
- Rogier van den Berg, Acting Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
- Dr. Leila Benali, Ministre de la Transition Énergétique et du Développement Durable, Royaume du Maroc
- Franz Tattenbach Capra, Ministro de Ambiente y Energía, Costa Rica (TBC)
- Gifti Nadi, Deputy Regional Director for Africa, C40
- Mauricio Rodas, Former Mayor of Quito, Ecuador, and Visiting Scholar, University of Pennsylvania
- Lin O'Grady, Deputy Head, Sustainable Infrastructure Group, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Delivering Net-Zero and Resilient Cities Through Research and Innovation
Cities and local governments are key actors in delivering a safe, low-emission and resilient future. But as the City Research and Innovation Agenda and updated Global Research and Action Agenda show, they need help getting there. Capacity around city-scale data, finance, and stronger governance - plus emerging issues such as digitalisation, cultural heritage, and systems approaches, among others - are key enablers, but more is needed to demonstrate feasibility. Using the agendas as an evidence base for cities, the session previews the opportunities that can convert local ambition into action at the speed and scale required to meet the moment.
Time: 17:05 - 17:45 EET, Watch the livestream
Speakers:
- Benjamin Jance IV, Head of Research and Innovation, Global Covenant of Mayors (moderator)
- Dr Abdourrahmane Maikanti, Mayor of Garoua 3, Cameroon
- Pourya Salehi, Acting Head of Urban Research, ICLEI World Secretariat
- Leo Horn-Phathanothai, Director of Strategy and Partnerships, WRI Ross Center for Cities
- Robert Hoddenbach, Global Business Line Director Fugro; Chair Partnership & Industry Engagement Committee, WGIC
- Joanna Mclean Masic, Lead Urban Specialist for Cities and Climate Change and Global Lead for the Sustainable City Infrastructure and Services Global Solutions Group, World Bank Group
- Barbara Ryan, Executive Director, World Geospatial Industry Council
Wednesday, November 16
Zero Carbon Buildings & Cities: Transformative Actions for the Built Environment
Multi-stakeholder action and radical collaboration on energy efficiency, embodied carbon, sustainable finance, and data-based solutions is urgently needed for a paradigm shift to a net-zero, efficient and resilient built environment. If action is not taken today, we risk locking emissions and vulnerability into our buildings and infrastructure, making future adaptation and mitigation increasingly costly. The sessions will provide an avenue for stakeholders to showcase solutions (including City Sprints and Toolbox of Solutions, Zero Carbon Buildings Accelerator, Mission Efficiency), share experiences and best practices, and build momentum on ambitious implementation efforts for accelerating the transformation of the sector globally.
Time: 13:30 - 14:30 EET
Location: SDG7 Pavilion
Speakers:
- Jennifer Layke, Global Director, Energy Program, WRI
Mission Efficiency: Bringing the Emotions and a Marketplace for Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is the “first fuel” that every country possesses and the fastest and most cost-effective way to build a cleaner and more resilient energy future. Yet, the pace of annual global energy efficiency improvement and investment remain below what is needed to achieve SDG7.3 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
This session will present a new energy efficiency narrative – developed by Mission Efficiency – that triggers new and more ambitious commitments. The Mission Efficiency Marketplace will be launched during the session, and we will bring together energy efficiency stakeholders to elevate energy efficiency in the development agenda, support global progress and increase energy efficiency investment across sectors and regions.
Time: 15:00 - 16:00 EET
Location: SDG7 Pavilion
Speakers:
- Jennifer Layke, Global Director, Energy Program, WRI
- Steven Kukoda, Vice President/Executive Director at International Copper Association
- Brian Dean, Head of Energy Efficiency and Cooling, SEforALL
- Nigel Jollands Associate Director, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Financing and Scaling Up Nature Action
The African Development Bank, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), World Resources Institute (WRI), Cities4Forests, the World Bank, the Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction (GFDRR), the Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP), and the Caterpillar Foundation are joining forces to accelerate nature actions through an analysis of large-scale nature-based solutions (NBS) for adaptation. This session will evaluate NBS opportunities in Africa linked to natural resource sectors and infrastructure investment; explore an innovative financing mechanism to help solve the climate, nature and debt crisis; and showcase four new NBS pipeline projects.
The session will also focus on urgent need to accelerate investment in NBS in Africa through showcasing what ambitious and effective projects look like. It will highlight important lessons from NBS case studies involving AfDB and partners, including launching key reports and policy papers, as well as showcasing four new NbS projects in the pipeline from Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Tunisia that tackle societal challenges such as food, water and energy security. It will also demonstrate the opportunity to explore green infrastructure investment combined with grey infrastructure, which is critical for sustainable development on the continent.
Time: 17:00 - 18:30 EET
Location: Joint MDB Pavilion, Blue Zone
Speakers:
- Susan Chomba, Director of Vital Landscapes for Africa, WRI
Thursday, November 17
Shifting Gear: Accelerating Active Mobility for Future Generations
Active mobility networks are increasingly recognized as sustainable, equitable and healthy solutions for climate impact as they provide lowest emissions and most affordable, cost-efficient accessible modes of transport. Several initiatives have emerged in the past few years to fill the investment gaps in walking and cycling. Most of these initiatives have been focused on the developed world through national and local government investments. Yet the interest in sustainable transport options is growing worldwide, especially in the developing world where these modes are already substantial. It is crucial for key players to build on this momentum and expand to include international investment and financing efforts in the developing world. It is also crucial to create accessible funding opportunities and provide the right tools for successful implementation. This session will include two panels that will highlight the importance of leveraging international financing for active mobility and focus on steps needed to help accelerate implementation of active mobility infrastructure and policies.
Time: 9:30 - 11:00 EET
Location: Benelux Pavilion, Blue Zone
Speakers:
- Felipe Ramirez, Director of Urban Mobility, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
Initiative Launch Event: Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change
On 17 November 2022, the Egyptian COP27 Presidency will convene the first-ever Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change at a UN Climate Change Conference of Parties, focusing on housing, urban development, and multi-level action in relation to climate change.
The Ministerial Meeting will reinforce the commitment of the Paris Agreement for multi-level climate action and will commit to accelerated climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation action and local climate finance. Further, the Sustainable Urban Resilience for the Next Generation (SURGe) Initiative will be launched at the event.
The Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change would also showcase frontrunner countries with very strong urban climate content in their NDCs and other policies as well as cities and other urban climate actors who have put net-zero and climate resilience plans into action locally.
Time: 10:30 - 12:30 EET
Location: Blue Zone
Multi-Stakeholder Forum on an Equitable Transition Towards Sustainable Urban Mobility
Sustainable low carbon transport and mobility is a high priority for all governments, especially in the Global South, as they are looking to develop transport systems that improve equitable access to transport, enhance prosperity, contribute to health and well-being and ameliorate the adverse environmental impacts of transport emissions. Over half of the world’s population live in cities, which account for 70% of global emissions. Within cities, transport makes up a third of all emissions. As urbanisation accelerates in the Global South, transforming urban transport and mobility systems is becoming an increasingly salient lever to deliver on the above outcomes. Across geographies, this is a momentous task and efforts to decarbonise specific transport modes are already underway but have been limited in scale and progress so far.
This Multi-Stakeholder Forum will provide an excellent opportunity to discuss global challenges and solutions for scaled up public and private finance for sustainable transport infrastructure and vehicles; as well as capacity building needs to integrate modes and formal and informal sectors.
In addition, the COP27 presidency's flagship initiative on Low Carbon Transport for Urban Sustainability (LOTUS) will be launched during this forum. This forum will gather ministers, high level government officials and representatives of local and regional governments; as well as non-governmental organisations, think tanks, academia, the private sector, multilateral banks, UN agencies, intergovernmental organisations and international and national media.
Time: 12:30 - 14:30 EET
Location: MR20, Blue Zone, Register here
Speakers:
- Felipe Ramirez, Director of Urban Mobility, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
