Advocacy
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.
COP28/UAE
The 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change takes place from 30 November to 12 December 2023, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
COP28 will be a critical moment for the world to come together and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon, high-growth, and sustainable economic model that is both transformative and equitable.
UrbanShift will co-host two side events at COP28 to highlight the integral connection between climate change and urban development. These events will explore the pivotal role cities play in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, and discuss the way forward to address the challenges cities are facing. Find a list of events below, with information about how to join us in the discussions in person or virtually.
URBANSHIFT-LED EVENT: REINVENTING CITIES: UNLOCKING ACTION FOR A RESILIENT URBAN FUTURE
DATE & TIME: December 8, 2023, 11:45AM – 12:30PM GST
LOCATION: UNEP Pavilion
Cities, home to more than half of the world's population, are both major contributors to climate change and hubs of opportunities. Creating sustainable and resilient cities is now more imperative than ever. Unlocking action requires a strategic focus on innovative mechanisms and tools that facilitate multi-level and cross-sectoral collaboration to empower cities to adapt, transform, and thrive in the face of a changing climate.
In collaboration with UNEP West Asia office, UrbanShift is leading a side event to highlight major advances in driving transformative changes in cities, such as enabling resilient urban planning, fostering multi-level governance, and facilitating access to national and international climate finance. This event aims to increase attention for local climate action, drawing on best-practices from the UrbanShift programme and the Saida as a Sustainable City Initiative.
The event will engage the audience through interactive activities using technology like AI visualisation tools, enabling a better understanding of our common perceptions of cities' contributions to climate change and the potential impact of integrated and sustainable urban planning. The event will also mark the launch of the UrbanShift Annual Report 2022-23.
SPEAKERS:
- Ruth Zugman Do Coutto, Head a.i., Energy and Climate Branch, Industry and Economy Division, UNEP
- Rogier van den Berg, Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
- Tarek Alkhoury, Regional Coordinator, Climate Change, UNEP ROWA
- Amal Nadim, Head of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, UN Development Programme
- Anna Amalia, Planner, Directorate of Environment, Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), Republic of Indonesia
- Ana Asti, Undersecretary of Water Security and Sustainability, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Yunus Arikan, Head of Global Policy and Advocacy, ICLEI World Secretariat
- Aloke Barnwal, Coordinator, Sustainable Cities Program, Global Environment Facility
OTHER RELEVANT EVENTS
ONE UN EVENT: UN RAISING AMBITION AND DELIVERY ON THE GROUND: MULTILEVEL CLIMATE ACTION FOR LOCAL RESILIENCE
DATE & TIME: December 5, 2023, 15:00PM – 16:30PM GST
LOCATION: SE Room 8
Transforming urban environments to be sustainable and resilient must put the needs of the most vulnerable at the forefront. This session discusses what it takes to accelerate local climate action, implement innovative solutions and unlock climate finance through multilevel governance.
SPEAKERS:
- Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director, UN-Habitat
- Lea Ranalder, Associate Programme Management Officer, UN-Habitat
- H.E. Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya, Minister of Environment, Rwanda
- Mohamed Sefiani, Mayor of Chefchaouen, Morocco
- Ruth Zugman do Coutto, Head a.i. Energy and Climate Branch, UNEP
- Guoli Gao, Director, China Center for Urban Development (CCUD)
- Laura Arevalos, Community referent and member of environmental roundtable & Urban Lab in Villa 20, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Mauricio Rodas, Former Mayor of Quito, Ecuador, and Visiting Scholar, Penn Institute for Urban Research on behalf of the Urban SDG Finance Commission
- Denis Mugagga, Head of the Climate Finance Unit, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Uganda
- H.E. Dr. Nasser Yassin, Minister of Environment, Lebanon
LOCAL CLIMATE ACTION SUMMIT
DATE & TIME: December 1, 2023, 16:15 – 17:15 PM GST & December 2, 2023, 8:30 – 17:00 PM GST
LOCATION: DEC North Hall – WCAS Theatre (for December 1)
JOIN: Live stream (for December 1)
The COP28 Local Climate Action Summit (LCAS) will unite subnational and national leaders to establish a new paradigm for fully integrated climate action between governments at all levels.
NATURE-POSITIVE CITIES AND REGIONS - URBAN-NATURE PROGRAM
DATE & TIME: December 2, 2023, 14:30 – 15:15 PM GST
LOCATION: UNFCCC Action Lab 1 (AL SHAHEEN), Local Climate Action Summit (LCAS)
Leveraging the momentum from COP28’s Nature Outcome Three, this event seeks to advance the call to action for "Nature Positive Development in cities and region," and facilitate the roll-out of an Urban Nature Program.
URBAN GREEN AND LOW-CARBON DEVELOPMENT
DATE & TIME December 4, 2023, 14:45 – 16:30 PM GST
LOCATION: China Pavilion
LEARN MORE: Urban Green and Low-Carbon Development | World Resources Institute (wri.org)
This event invites government officials, international organizations, research institutions and other experts in this field to discuss urban green and low-carbon development, and share experiences and urban cases.
COP28 MINISTERIAL MEETING ON URBANIZATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE
DATE & TIME: December 6, 2023, 09:30 AM – 12:00 PM GST
LOCATION: Al-Ghafat Plenary, Blue zone
LEARN MORE: COP28 UAE | Ministerial meeting
The Ministerial Meeting will convene a diverse set of ministers, local and regional leaders, financial institutions, and non-government stakeholders to articulate a suite of multilevel actions for sustainable urbanization. Please note that you need to register at: https://forms.office.com/e/PfYTVqGQLh
THE ROLE/CONTRIBUTION OF WETLANDS REHABILITATION IN URBAN CLIMATE RESILIENCE
DATE & TIME: December 6, 2023, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM GST
LOCATION: Rwanda Pavilion
This side event will showcase the role and contribution of wetlands to urban climate resilience, focusing on the ongoing RUDP II project in Rwanda.
LOCAL ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION FOR NATURE-POSITIVE CITIES AND REGIONS
DATE & TIME: December 6, 2023, 15:00 – 16:30 PM GST
LOCATION: Meeting Room 6, GCA, UNFCCC Blue Zone
This event aims to be a pivotal gathering for local and subnational governments, rallying them to commit to sustainable, nature-positive policies, by showcasing existing tools and projects and highlighting enabling policies.
HOUSING AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
DATE & TIME December 8, 2023, 11:30 – 13:00 PM GST
LOCATION: SE Room 9
LEARN MORE: Housing and Climate Adaptation for the Most Vulnerable Populations | World Resources Institute (wri.org)
This event will explore policy, practice and finance solutions from the perspectives of diverse stakeholders, including governments, local communities, multilaterals, and housing practitioners, to advance access to climate-resilient housing and urban services across the Global South.
The Multi-Level Climate Action Guide for Decision-Makers
As climate crisis hits local communities hard, disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable, this guide shares three key recommendations & 100+ examples to help local action achieve national climate goals.
Ministerial meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change at COP28 Summary Report
This report summarizes the Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change held at COP28 on 6 December 2023. This key event was co-hosted by UN-Habitat, the High-Level Climate Champions, and the COP28 Presidency.
The Power of Cities: Harnessing Low-Carbon Urbanization for Climate Action
This report from the World Bank highlights the need to integrate low-carbon urbanization into countries’ national climate change strategies and outlines the opportunities to bridge between national decarbonization and urban development goals.
Mainstreaming Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation
This report offers contextual information, tools, and recommendations to help plan, design, and implement NbS for adaptation that advance gender equality and social inclusion while enhancing resilience, biodiversity, and ecosystem integrity.
