Brics+ Urban Climate Agenda Report - Flagship Initiative for a More Sustainable World

This session will present the BRICS Urban Climate Agenda Report – a comprehensive study evaluating the effectiveness of climate mitigation measures implemented by major cities within the BRICS nations.

Nicholas You

Facilitator

November 5, 2024 | 13:00 - 14:30

Voices from Cities - room C

The Government of Moscow

Russian Federation

English, Russian, Spanish

Reference:

VC-C 3

WUF12

Voices from Cities

Summary

Cities are on the frontline of climate action. Through initiatives in renewable energy, sustainable transportation, green infrastructure, energy-efficiency and waste management, cities can lead the transition towards a low-carbon future. Rapid urbanization and economic growth in BRICS countries have led to increased greenhouse gas emissions, making climate policy a critical concern for their cities. Balancing economic development with environmental sustainability presents both challenges and opportunities that are unique to these urban landscapes. The session designed as a facilitated and interactive knowledge exchange platform is organized jointly by the Government of Moscow and the Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation. The scenario of the session: • Introduction: overview of the event’s agenda (10 minutes) • Presentation of the BRICS Urban Climate Agenda Report and its methodology by the Moscow City Government (15 minutes) • Voices from cities: Guangzhou’s climate agenda and good practices (10 minutes) • Voices from stakeholders: Comments to the report from the perspective of the UN-Habitat, ICLEI and C40; highlighting of the linkage between the agendas of climate and urban health (40 minutes) • Conclusion: prospects for global city-to-city cooperation on the urban climate agenda and next steps (5 minutes), questions and answers (10 minutes). Languages: English, Portuguese, Arabic

Objectives

This session emphasizes the critical role of cities in the global climate agenda, and seeks to foster the dialogue on how urban centers in the BRICS countries can lead the way in sustainability efforts. In this context, the following objectives are set: • To present the Urban Climate Agenda Report as a tool for assessing the efficiency of the local governments’ climate policies, as well as for designing future policies and strategies (as exemplified by the major BRICS cities, while having potential to be universally utilized elsewhere) • To launch a knowledge-sharing platform for the BRICS cities and beyond on the local-level climate policies and climate-related data • To discuss the potential of the good practices identified by the BRICS Urban Climate Agenda Report to be replicated in other places to address the climate crisis and enhance the resilience and sustainability of urban communities around the world