February 2024 Newsletter
In UrbanShift's first newsletter of 2024, we preview important themes for this year, including multi-level governance and innovative climate finance, and how upcoming events--like the UNEA-6 Cities & Regions Summit and UrbanShift Latin America Forum--will boost collaboration around them.
Dear friends and colleagues,
Welcome to the first UrbanShift newsletter of 2024! On behalf of World Resources Institute, a key partner in this GEF-funded initiative to create more sustainable cities and a livable planet, we’re excited to share what’s on the horizon for UrbanShift this year.
Before we dive into all we have planned for this transformative year, we want to take a moment to reflect on some highlights from 2023. Last year, UrbanShift’s capacity-building efforts spurred momentum for local and sustainable transformations across our network of cities. We hosted in-person trainings and labs in Costa Rica, Rwanda, Argentina and India, launched our free Online City Academy course offering, issued calls for progress on nature-based solutions and ending plastic pollution through our advocacy work, and supported Freetown and Teresina to launch their climate action strategies. Underlying this progress are two fundamental needs: to build capacity among city-level actors and leaders to implement necessary transformation, and to strengthen multi-level governance so the voices and perspectives of cities can inform and are reflected in national and global climate goals. You can read more about our highlights from 2023 and the opportunities ahead for 2024 in this recent blog.
Both capacity-building and multi-level governance will continue to be a major focus for UrbanShift as we embark on this new year. This week, UrbanShift, with the leadership of UNEP, is hosting the UNEA-6 Cities and Regions Summit, which will convene critical discussions around multi-level governance and urban finance in support of effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. If you haven't registered yet, you can do so here. As we move into the second half of the UrbanShift program, we will be intensifying our collaboration with the cities and countries in our network to solidify roadmaps for improved multilevel dialogue and governance around urban development and climate action, two pillars of UrbanShift.
Our focus on innovative urban climate finance will continue to sharpen in 2024 as well. To create more sustainable cities, global actors need to mobilize roughly $93 trillion for sustainable urban infrastructure development by the end of this decade. UrbanShift is doing its part to close this funding gap by connecting cities with training resources and financing opportunities. The UrbanShift Latin America Forum, planned for April in Belém, Brazil, will center on the theme of financing for green and resilient cities. In addition to building capacity among participating representatives, the event will help the city prepare for next year’s COP, which will be critical to advancing climate actions in cities. And UrbanShift will provide cities with light-touch technical assistance, connection to ICLEI’s Transformative Actions Program (read more about the 2024 call for projects below), and other opportunities like the City Climate Finance Gap Fund.
COP28 made it clear that cities contain so many crucial levers for global climate progress. Cities are at the center of critical systems, from the economy to industry to transportation. If we can transform our cities, we can transform our planet. As the nexus of these systems, the way cities evolve will play a critical role in our efforts to combat climate change and create a more livable world. That progress starts with building connections, knowledge, and capacity—and UrbanShift is ready to keep moving this work forward in 2024. We’re looking forward to sharing more with you!
Pablo Lazo / Urban Development Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
SPOTLIGHT ON: URBANSHIFT ONLINE CITY ACADEMY
We are thrilled to announce that the UrbanShift Online City Academy is now fully available in translation! Each course—Integrated Urban Planning, Urban Biodiversity, Urban Nature-Based Solutions, Accommodating Urban Growth, Integrated Climate Action Planning, Circular Economy Strategies, Accessing Urban Climate Finance, and Green and Thriving Neighbourhoods—is available in six languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Bahasa Indonesia, and Mandarin Chinese. These courses are free and self-paced to fit with your schedule. Learn more and enroll here in this unique opportunity to build your knowledge and capacity for sustainable urban development!
BLOGS & RESEARCH
Looking Back on 2023 and ahead to 2024: Supporting Integrated Urban Planning to Tackle the Climate, Nature and Pollution Crises
Reflecting on an impactful 2023, UrbanShift will continue its focus in 2024 on supporting collaborative, cross-cutting leadership to fund and implement sustainable urban transformations.
How data and integrated planning approaches can help cities fight air pollution
Poor air quality threatens wellbeing everywhere. Learn how cities in Latin America are taking a data-driven approach to reducing pollution and promoting livability.
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.
A Guide to Biodiversity Financing for Cities and Regions
Using in-depth definitions, case studies and resources, the guide covers innovative and traditional financing instruments to support biodiversity conservation, maintenance, restoration and preservation.
Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future
Published by UNEP, this report highlights the need to develop new models for decarbonizing building materials, if the world is to reach its goals for net zero emissions from the built environment sector by the mid-century.
UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
UNEA-6 Cities & Regions Summit
An associated event of UNEA-6, this event will focus on two key areas for cities: strengthening multi-level governance for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the multilateral environmental agreements goals; and funding and financing to accelerate local climate and environmental actions. During the Summit, subnational governments will convene to exchange their experiences with implementing environmental and climate actions and relay their perspectives to Member States participating in UNEA-6, highlighting concrete examples of progress and directly contributing to the UNEA-6 deliberations. Learn more and register to attend virtually. February 23, 2024.
Transformative Actions Program (TAP) 2024 Call
Led by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and part of the UrbanShift’s finance offer, TAP is a global initiative to help subnational governments and local businesses transform their sustainable infrastructure concepts into solid and investment-ready projects. Projects with great potential for impact can receive personalized feedback and once considered investment-ready, are connected to project preparation facilities and financial partners that will support their implementation. Learn more. Applications open March 1, 2024.
UrbanShift Latin America Forum
As cities in Latin American continue to evolve and expand, integrated and sustainable approaches to development are more crucial than ever—as are innovative strategies to finance such projects. From April 16-19, 2024, UrbanShift will host a groundbreaking regional conference dedicated to exploring the pivotal role of cities in the effort to transition to an equitable, sustainable, and livable future for all. The UrbanShift Latin America Forum will focus on understanding, engaging with, and contributing to the financing of transformative initiatives shaping the cities of tomorrow. Learn more. April 16-19, 2024.
PAST EVENTS
C40 City-Business Climate Alliance Workshop | Cape Town, South Africa
Convening workshop for African cities and businesses to address key climate challenges
Marrakech City Academy
In February 2024, this City Academy will focus on Urban Biodiversity and Accessing Urban Climate Finance.
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.
