6th GEF Assembly Roundtable – Sustainable Cities
When
Jun 27, 2018
Time
02:00 PM
Where
Da Nang, Vietnam
Almost two years ago, 167 countries signed the New Urban Agenda, an unprecedented agreement setting a path towards achieving cities that are better for people, the planet, and the economy. The question now is how to reach the goals outlined in the New Urban Agenda. To reach those goals, national governments have made commitments to end poverty, reduce inequality and tackle climate change. Many of the actions needed are the responsibility of local authorities, including spatial planning, provision of core infrastructure (housing, water supply, sanitation, roads), and basic services (healthcare, waste collection, emergency services and policing). Cities are, in a word, essential to sustainable development.
But there is strong evidence that local governments cannot succeed without concerted, coordinated and enabling national action. Central governments determine the extent to which power and resources are devolved, and national policies and regulations play a major role in shaping urban form and function. Only a third of countries have national policies to shape urban growth, and some national policies in sectors like housing and energy sometimes work at cross purposes to local efforts to build more sustainable, thriving cities.
This roundtable will explore critical areas where national and local governments must work together more effectively to deliver sustainable cities. It will feature expert presentations and diverse panels including national and city decision-makers and international organizations. The roundtable will discuss how to develop a prioritized path for action, and understanding the scope of the national action. The conversations will be structured in two sessions around enabling national policies and financing sustainable cities.
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Session 1: Setting the framework: putting sustainable cities at the heart of national development strategies Conversations about global challenges emphasize the importance of cities, but local governments often do not have the assets, functions and authorities to act alone. Action by national governments is crucial for achieving sustainable, economically productive urban development. Pursuing compact, connected and coordinated (3C) forms of urban development can support sustained economic development, enhancing the productivity of cities while reducing their ecological footprints. National governments can be instrumental in delivering 3C urban development. For example, large-scale transport infrastructure and spatial planning are heavily influenced by tiers of government above the city level. Given the importance of central governments in enabling or constraining sustainable cities, there is a clear need to create an enabling national policy framework to support 3C development. This session will bring together leaders from national and city governments to explore how they can use their respective powers to achieve sustainable cities. It will also explore the basis for integrated planning and policymaking at the national level, focusing on the urban form, housing and transport sectors. |
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14:00-15:30
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Moderator: Ani Dasgupta, Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, Global Co-Director, Coalition for Urban Transitions 5 minutes to frame the session Framing the discussion:
Panel discussion: Discussion will be kicked off by following panelists and then open to the public. 5-minute interventions.
Guiding questions:
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15:30 – 15:45 |
Coffee Break |
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Session 2: Financing sustainable cities Global investment in infrastructure falls short by more than US$1 trillion every year. The investment gap is especially acute in cities of the global south, where both populations and economies are growing rapidly. With a few exceptions such as China, neither government budgets nor international aid are sufficient to meet this shortfall. Private investors have been largely unwilling to fill the financing gap due to the high risks, low returns and imperfect information associated with many infrastructure investments. It is even harder to raise the incremental investment associated with lower carbon or more climate resilient options, let alone overcome the non-economic barriers to financing climate-compatible cities. |
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15:45-17:00
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Moderator: Emani Kumar, Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI, Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia, Framing the discussion:
Panel discussion: Discussion will be kicked off by following panelists and then open to the public.
Guiding questions:
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Session 1: Setting the framework: putting sustainable cities at the heart of national development strategies Conversations about global challenges emphasize the importance of cities, but local governments often do not have the assets, functions and authorities to act alone. Action by national governments is crucial for achieving sustainable, economically productive urban development. Pursuing compact, connected and coordinated (3C) forms of urban development can support sustained economic development, enhancing the productivity of cities while reducing their ecological footprints. National governments can be instrumental in delivering 3C urban development. For example, large-scale transport infrastructure and spatial planning are heavily influenced by tiers of government above the city level. Given the importance of central governments in enabling or constraining sustainable cities, there is a clear need to create an enabling national policy framework to support 3C development. This session will bring together leaders from national and city governments to explore how they can use their respective powers to achieve sustainable cities. It will also explore the basis for integrated planning and policymaking at the national level, focusing on the urban form, housing and transport sectors. |
|
|
14:00-15:30
|
Moderator: Ani Dasgupta, Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, Global Co-Director, Coalition for Urban Transitions 5 minutes to frame the session Framing the discussion:
Panel discussion: Discussion will be kicked off by following panelists and then open to the public. 5-minute interventions.
Guiding questions:
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|
15:30 – 15:45 |
Coffee Break |
|
Session 2: Financing sustainable cities Global investment in infrastructure falls short by more than US$1 trillion every year. The investment gap is especially acute in cities of the global south, where both populations and economies are growing rapidly. With a few exceptions such as China, neither government budgets nor international aid are sufficient to meet this shortfall. Private investors have been largely unwilling to fill the financing gap due to the high risks, low returns and imperfect information associated with many infrastructure investments. It is even harder to raise the incremental investment associated with lower carbon or more climate resilient options, let alone overcome the non-economic barriers to financing climate-compatible cities. |
|
|
15:45-17:00
|
Moderator: Emani Kumar, Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI, Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia, Framing the discussion:
Panel discussion: Discussion will be kicked off by following panelists and then open to the public.
Guiding questions:
|