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29 July 2022
The COP27 Presidency of Egypt supports sustainable, just urban transformation through an initiative on Sustainable Cities
Originaly published on the COP27 Presidency website.
Partners and experts, from the urban and the climate communities discussed concepts and mechanisms to reach more sustainable cities in the Sustainable Cities Initiative Workshop, hosted by the COP27 Presidency of Egypt in collaboration with The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and facilitated by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.
The workshop included a fruitful discussion among various partners and experts, city leaders and networks, including Ambassador Ayman Tharwat Amin, Deputy Director of the Department of Climate, Environment and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt, Erfan Ali, UN-Habitat Regional Representative for the Arab states, and Kobie Brand, Deputy Secretary General and Regional Director for Africa, ICLEI.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Ayman Tharwat Amin, highlighted the participatory and the inclusive approach that the COP27 is adopting in developing initiatives on the way to Sharm Eel-Sheikh., hHee further emphasized that cities, their population and infrastructure are especially vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, which highlights the importance of this initiative and the need for an implementation-focused COP.
“This year, local climate action is one of UN-Habitat’s priority themes,” Ali stated. “COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh will be a great opportunity to highlight and advance the local climate action agenda and strengthen the alignment of climate action with sustainable urban development.”
Participants contributed to the framework of the initiative, highlighting the need to bridge global policy to city actions and supporting city governments in building their capacity to improve climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience.
A number of action points were drafted during the workshop, including:
1. Creating a partnership for a sustainable cities initiative to be launched during COP27;
2. Identified initial workstreams for the initiative including, energy efficiency, resilient and low carbon buildings, waste, urban mobility and urban water management;
3. Setting guidelines for the interaction of the private sector, and other stakeholders with the initiative.
The workshop was attended by parties, UN agencies, MDBs, civil society organizations, the climate champions network, think tanks and researchers, as well as city leaders and networks.
The 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt from 6 to 18 November 2022.
About COP27
Science has established beyond doubt that the window for action is closing rapidly. In November 2022, Egypt will host the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, with a view to building on previous successes and paving the way for future ambition.
A golden opportunity for all stakeholders to rise to the occasion and tackle effectively the global challenge of climate change facilitated by Egypt on the African continent.
https://www.cop27.eg/
About UN-Habitat
UN-Habitat works in over 90 countries supporting people in cities and human settlements for a better urban future. Working with governments and local partners, UN-Habitat’s high impact projects combine world-class expertise and local knowledge to deliver timely and targeted solutions leading to more sustainable, resilient, green and healthy cities. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a dedicated Goal on cities, SDG 11 – to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
www.unhabitat.org
About ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability ICLEI
Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125+ countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. Our Members and team of experts work together through peer exchange, partnerships and capacity building to create systemic change for urban sustainability. For more information about ICLEI, please visit:
https://iclei.org/
For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact:
COP27 Presidency Team
Email: comms@cop27.eg
Twitter: @COP27P
Shahira Elbokhary
Communications Associate, UN-Habitat Regional Office for Arab States
Email: shahira.elbokhary@un.org
For technical information, please contact:
Yasmine Mostafa
Knowledge Management and Reporting Officer, UN-Habitat Regional office for the Arab States
Email: yasmine.mostafa@un.org
Or follow us on:
Facebook: @UNHABITAT.Arabic
Twitter: @UNHabitat_Ar
