December 2023 Newsletter
In UrbanShift's final newsletter of 2023, we reflect on a transformative and action-filled year by introducing the 2022-2023 Annual Report and sharing highlights from the last quarter, including our presence at COP28 and the launch of the Online City Academy courses.
Dear friends and colleagues,
This final UrbanShift newsletter of 2023 comes to you right after the close of COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai. Global leaders, government representatives, international organizations, experts, and civil society have gathered to deliberate on progress toward the low-carbon sustainable economic development.
The COP28 negotiations show us once again that there is a long and difficult journey ahead to create a livable and fair planet for all; and cooperation between different sectors and levels of government is the key to success. Cities play a crucial role in this collaborative effort, with many taking the lead in transitioning to climate-neutral practices. UrbanShift's focus this year has been on enhancing the capabilities of cities to combat climate change. This involved capacity-building activities, such as organization of strategic planning labs in Kigali, Ushuaia and Florianopolis; City Academies in Costa Rica and India; and global Peer-to-Peer exchanges. UrbanShift has brought local and national governments leaders together which helped to strengthen coordination for transformative action around integrated and sustainable urban planning.
In the last two years, the cities in the UrbanShift global network have been working together to lay a strong foundation for collaborative efforts in sustainability and resilience.
Knowledge and collaboration are the seeds of change. In this past year, UrbanShift hosted eight advocacy events and four webinars for the cities in the UrbanShift network and launched the online City Academy as a free, self-paced learning platform open to all who are interested in sparking change in their cities. You can find more about our transformative activities and the achievements of the cities within our network over the past year in our 2022-2023 Annual Report.
Looking ahead to 2024, we excited to continue to empower cities to lead on sustainable transformation. In the coming year, we're excited for UrbanShift's country partner projects to start implementation: a sustainable mobility project in Pune, India, and large scale wetland restoration in Kigali, Rwanda. Stay tuned for more information about the UNEA-6 Cities and Regions Summit in Nairobi, Kenya in February 2023 and the UrbanShift Latin America Forum in Belem, Brazil in April 2024.
Wishing you a happy and healthy rest of 2023, and a happy new year!
Gulnara Roll / Head, Cities Unit, UN Environment Programme
REFLECTING ON A YEAR OF ACTION AND IMPACT
UrbanShift’s second annual report chronicles a transformative year for the program and the 23 cities within the network, spanning around 30 events and the launch of the online City Academy. Browse the report to learn from case studies of how cities are implementing strategies to restore natural ecosystems and advance resilience and discover all that UrbanShift accomplished in the past year to build capacity and solidarity among cities committed to equity and sustainability.
FREE, ESSENTIAL COURSES ON INTEGRATED PLANNING
UrbanShift has officially launched the online City Academy—eight free, self-paced courses on sustainable urban planning with a special focus on the Global South. From nature-based solutions to climate action planning, these courses offer learners tangible case studies, methodologies and best practices to apply to their own cities.
NOTES FROM COP28
COP28 elevated the vital role of cities in achieving local and global climate action goals. Opening with the first-ever Local Climate Action Summit, which united over 500 global mayors and produced over 40 announcements and new research about the importance of local action for climate, the negotiations made it clear that cities play a central role in our collective climate progress. UrbanShift and partner organizations were on the ground during COP28, and below you can find research, reflections, and key takeaways from our network to explore:
 Reinventing Cities: Unlocking Action for a Resilient Urban FutureUrbanShift, in collaboration with UNEP, hosted a side event that convened a diverse panel to discuss advances and opportunities for driving sustainable urban transformation. During this event, the UrbanShift 2022-2023 Annual Report also launched to the public. Learn more and watch the recording.
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 C40 Co-Chair and Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr Delivers Speech at UN Secretary-General EventIn a powerful address, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr stressed the importance and urgency of national governments to include city actions in their climate commitments to increase legislative and funding support for cities. Read the full speech. |
 World Resources Institute: The Future of Extreme Heat in CitiesReleased during the Local Climate Action Summit, this research from the World Resources Institute delves into the potential threat of heat in cities if we surpass the 1.5 degree Celsius warming threshold, and the crucial role data can play in illuminating risks and opportunities for action. Read more.
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 ICLEI on the Second Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change at COP28Anchoring the Multilevel Action, Urbanization and Built Environment Day on December 6, this session called for multilevel collaboration on local climate action and finance. Read the outcomes and watch the recording. |
NEWS & UPDATES
UrbanShift in the TIME100 Climate List
We were thrilled to see UrbanShift partners and leaders, including GEF CEO Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr and C40 Executive Director Mark Watts honored in TIME Magazine’s inaugural TIME100 Climate List. Read more at Time.com.
UrbanShift's Geospatial Data Dashboard Highlighted in the BBC
As Freetown copes with extreme heat, the BBC highlighted how the city’s Chief Heat Officer, Eugenia Kargbo, is taking action—including making use of UrbanShift and Cities4Forests Geospatial Data Dashboard to map the effectiveness of several cooling interventions. Read more at BBC.com.
BLOGS & RESEARCH
UrbanShift Asia Forum 2023: Transforming cities for a sustainable tomorrow
UrbanShift's first regional forum focused on the critical topic of financing sustainable urban transformations.
Lessons from the Global South's public-private climate collaborations
Spanning 30 cities in the Global South, UrbanShift's new guide to public-private collaboration highlights partnership models and best practices.
How Africa’s First Chief Heat Officer is Helping to Create a More Resilient Freetown
As extreme heat rises across the globe, Eugenia Kargbo is showing how cities can prioritize strategies to mitigate risks and support residents' wellbeing.
Strategies for efficiency in urban cooling: A focus on Asia and beyond
Asia's urban areas have experienced a dramatic increase in electricity consumption, especially for cooling systems. To address this issue, we gathered regional experts to explore energy-efficient urban planning and building design strategies.
How to Enable Electric Bus Adoption in Cities Worldwide
This report provides step-by-step guidance to transit agencies to establish and achieve electric bus adoption targets using concrete and diverse real-world experiences.
UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Urban Nature Program
On 2 December 2023 at the first-ever Local Climate Action Summit at COP28 in Dubai, the World Bank, UNEP and ICLEI and other partners launched the Urban Nature Program. The program will provide financial and technical assistance to accelerate investments in nature in cities around the world. UrbanShift will participate as a partner in the program. Learn more. Stay tuned for further information and city-specific opportunities in 2024.
Marrakech City Academy
The 2024 UrbanShift Africa City Academy is set to unfold in the dynamic city of Marrakech, Morocco. It will be attended and supported by global and regional experts and local champions. The City Academy is an in-depth capacity building activity, during which we’ll delve into the vital themes of Urban Biodiversity and strategies for Accessing Urban Climate Finance, with select invitees from UrbanShift cities in Africa. Learn more. February 13-16, 2024.
UNEA-6 Cities & Regions Summit
As a platform for cities and regions to exchange experiences in implementing subnational environmental and climate actions, this Summit will relay the voices of the local and regional governments to the Member States participating in UNEA-6. The Summit will showcase concrete examples of cities and regions supporting their national governments to achieve the SDGs and the MEAs and unite participants in discussions around the importance of multi-level governance and financing to accelerate local climate and environmental actions. Learn more and register. February 23, 2024.
UrbanShift Latin America Forum
Planned for April 2024, the UrbanShift Forum in Brazil is a flagship event that will bring together senior political and technical representatives from UrbanShift cities and countries in the region–Brazil, Costa Rica and Argentina–as well as international organizations, financial institutions and the private sector, to exchange knowledge on targeted urban development challenges. More information coming soon. April 15-19, 2024.
PAST EVENTS
Towards Clean Air for All in Latin American Cities: The Importance of an Integrated Approach
This webinar, hosted by World Resources Institute, explored how Latin American cities are using data to understand air quality challenges and incorporate mitigation strategies into larger planning efforts.
UrbanShift at COP28
At COP, UrbanShift will lead crucial discussions to catalyze urban transformation and achieve global climate goals, carving out space for local stakeholders to share their visions, challenges, and best practices.
Unlocking Africa's Urban Potential: Improving Informal Settlements through Sustainable Planning
As Africa experiences rapid urban growth, this webinar will shed light on best practices for managing informal settlements and expanding sustainably.
UrbanShift Lab on Metropolitan Planning and Climate Action in Florianopolis
This technical workshop will bring together representatives from national, state and city level, to discuss how climate change measures can be integrated in the metropolitan planning instruments and improve inter-municipal governance.
Brazil National Dialogue
The first National Dialogue for Brazil will align stakeholders from across levels of government to further innovative and sustainable strategies for urban development.
UrbanShift at World Forum on Urban Forests: Leveraging urban biodiversity & forests to create inclusive and equitable cities
This session, held during the World Forum on Urban Forests, will bring together leaders to discuss their experience in creating sustainable and resilient cities through urban nature-based solutions.
Clean Transport Finance Academy
This event will empower Latin American cities to tackle clean transport financing challenges through intensive workshops with technical experts and knowledge-sharing around best practices for e-bus adoption.
UrbanShift Global Peer Exchange on Sustainable Energy Solutions
This peer-to-peer exchange will bring UrbanShift city Pune, India to Ghana to learn about clean cooking, micro grids and waste-to-energy models.
UrbanShift Asia Forum 2023: Transforming cities for a sustainable tomorrow
UrbanShift's first regional forum focused on the critical topic of financing sustainable urban transformations.
China Climate Finance Academy
This three-day event will convene representatives from across China to collaborate on innovative solutions for funding climate and clean energy projects.
UrbanShift Geospatial Analysis Lab Ushuaia
Through this strategic workshop, UrbanShift and the City of Ushuaia collaborated on data-driven approaches to sustainable urban growth.
About UrbanShift
UrbanShift's mission is to transform cities for people and planet through integrated urban development. We engage with more than 23 cities across nine countries (China, India, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Morocco, Costa Rica, Brazil and Argentina), bringing together local and global stakeholders to build a resilient, inclusive, zero-carbon urban future.
