by Janna Frischen, MSc Candidate, United Nations University and Resilient Cities 2017 communications volunteer Urban growth is becoming a major global challenge, as more than half of the total population is living in cities, with more than 60 percent by 2030. How cities are built today will shape the future of tomorrow, which means sustainable urban
Resilience has become an increasingly mainstream concept in global development. Around 2013, as nations and stakeholders shaped the post-2015 sustainable development frameworks, resilience emerged as a widely recognized concept that should crosscut policy and planning at all levels of government. Now, we are in a phase of action, and the Sustainable Development Goals are calling for integrated
In partnership with hosts the City of Ekurhuleni, ICLEI Africa convened the Local Climate Solutions for Africa (LoCS4Africa) congress from 22 to 24 March 2017. LoCS4Africa 2017 saw over 400 delegates, representing 53 cities from 40 countries gather to discuss the challenge of water for cities against the backdrop of uncertain climate and water futures.
Local and subnational governments have an important role to play in supporting implementation of the Paris Agreement, and are already taking action. Their contributions to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions are critical, particularly given that national climate commitments are not yet on track to achieve the Paris Agreement targets. In fact, recent analyses by the United
Berlin, Germany voted to divest its €750 million public pension from oil, coal and gas companies, while Stockholm, Sweden, Sydney, Australia and San Francisco, California have joined a growing number of cities making similar commitments. Meanwhile, cities are also exploring ways to meet their energy needs entirely with renewable sources. Vancouver, Canada aims to hit