Cities and urban systems must be at the forefront of climate action. 70% of cities around the world are already experiencing the effects of climate change. Further, cities are accountable for 70% of global CO2 emissions from energy use, use 75% of all the natural resources, and produce 50% of all waste (UN HABITAT, 2011; UNEP, 2015). Without rapid action, this concentration of emissions will increase as approximately 2.5-3 billion people are expected to move from rural to urban areas by 2050. However, despite the critical role cities play in ensuring that our climate goals are met, many city governments face significant challenges in unlocking the finance required to address the investment gap. These challenges are not only financial but also institutional and political, particularly in emerging economies.
This event will see the launch of the State of Cities Climate Finance 2021 report, produced by the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance in partnership with the City Climate Finance Gap Fund of the World Bank Group. It provides a snapshot of the current state of urban climate finance and represents the first effort to build and implement a framework to measure investment in climate change mitigation as well as adaptation and resilience measures in cities. During the 60-minute session, the report authors will present key findings, followed by reflections and discussions with panelists.
Speakers and panelists include:
- Kathy Baughman McLeod, Senior Vice President and Director, Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center at the Atlantic Council
- Sandrine Boukerche, Climate Change Specialist, World Bank
- Barbara Buchner, Global Managing Director, Climate Policy Initiative (Alliance Secretariat)
- Angela Falconer, Director, Climate Policy Initiative (Alliance Secretariat)
- David Mason, Urban Development Specialist, World Bank
- Lin O’Grady, Deputy Head, Sustainable Infrastructure Group, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- Mauricio Rodas, Visiting Fellow for Penn Institute For Urban Research and former Mayor of Quito, Ecuador
- Bella Tonkonogy, Associate Director, Climate Policy Initiative (Alliance Secretariat)
- Sameh Wahba, Global Director of Urban Disaster Risk Management, Resilience and Land Global Practice, World Bank
- Jürgen Zattler, General Director for International Development Policy, Agenda 2030 and Climate, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany
