Read the report here!
This new report, launched today by the Coalition for Urban Transition, shows how putting cities front and centre in both COVID-19 recovery and longer-term climate action can create jobs, advance key development priorities, and accelerate the shift to net zero. It shows the power of urban transformation and the many ways to achieve it by looking up close at six major emerging economies: China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.
The analysis stresses the need for cities to build back better after the pandemic and to achieve carbon neutrality by adopting technically feasible solutions such as retrofitting and new green buildings. Furthermore, it underlines multilateral and development financing institutions' key role in making urban action a priority in climate and development finance and calls for these institutions to support low-carbon and resilience-building investments with longer payback times, such as building retrofits and new construction to maximise energy efficiency and ecosystems restoration.
On the whole, this report offers analysis and recommendations tailored to each six country’s specific context. It outlines how these national governments can create low-carbon, resilient and inclusive cities by:
- adopting technically feasible, currently available low-carbon measures to cut emissions from buildings, transport, materials use and waste;
- enabling climate-resilient infrastructure and urban development, adopting new technologies and practices to reduce climate risks and addressing the socio-economic drivers of vulnerability; and
- introducing measures to support marginalised communities, making cities even stronger and more inclusive, with particular benefits for the most vulnerable populations.
The report finds that these solutions could collectively support significant economic and development benefits, and cut annual emissions from key urban sectors by 87–96% by 2050 beyond their initial NDC commitments under the Paris Agreement.
