When cities and towns unite: the Seoul Communiqué for global climate action

The second day of the Seoul Mayors Forum on Climate Change got underway with focused discussions on critical tools cities need to achieve local climate goals. Mayoral Second Annual Summit: Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement (GLCN) Given the huge spending power of cities worldwide, sustainable procurement represents one of the most direct and practical tools cities can use 

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When cities push for greater global climate ambitions

The Seoul Mayors Forum on Climate Change opened on September 1 in the capital of the Republic of Korea, gathering nearly 40 cities, to share how cities can support national and global efforts to raise the level of global ambition and ensure a rapid entry into force of the Paris Agreement. Opening session Mayoral discussion 

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Climate action in cities: the key to closing the emissions gap and creating resilient communities

Local action is the linchpin of a climate-safe, resilient future in our cities and towns. This week, visionary local leaders from around the world are coming together at the Seoul Mayors Forum for Climate Change 2016 to pave a unified path towards stronger global climate action. —- Climate change is, as always, a hot topic 

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Climate compatible development starts with finding the right partners

Alice Reil of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability rounds up lively discussions about ‘how to make climate compatible development happen’ at local and city level from the Resilient Cities 2016 congress and CDKN-ICLEI learning program. This blog post was originally published on CDKN website. Identifying adaptation options for a more sustainable tourism along the vulnerable coast of Belize. 

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What we learned at Resilient Cities 2016

Resilience is about people more than anything else. For every database, for every project, there is always a human interface: the civil servants, community leaders and regular citizens making resilience a reality. This was a red thread along the whole Resilient Cities 2016 congress, which wrapped up today in Bonn after three days of intense, 

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There is no cohesion without social protection

by Lauren Stabler, PhD student at the Global Sustainability Institute, Anglia Ruskin University Alfredo Zamudio, Director of the Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue, issued an inspirational call to action at today’s special feature plenary. Mr. Zamudio began his keynote speech with a personal account of his experience as an unaccompanied minor at age 13, after being 

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Small island states: overlooked but highly vulnerable

The number of climate change-related events is rapidly increasing, and Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) are highly vulnerable. In 2013, Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, was hit by a major flash flood that damaged informal settlements built in high-risk areas. In 2015, a huge cyclone destroyed big parts of Port Vila, the capital of 

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Cities and their food: a relationship below the radar?

by David Lammers, MSc Environmental Studies and Sustainability Studies, Lund University The goal of making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable is anchored within the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG11), and so is achieving food security (SDG2). The interrelation between these two goals was the central focus of the “Resilient urban food systems: city progress” session co-organized by RUAF Foundation, 

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When city met finance: how to fund and build resilient infrastructure in emerging economies

Seventy-five percent of the infrastructure that will exist in 2050 has not been built yet, according to Global Infrastructure Basel. So, how can we ensure that this infrastructure gets financed and built in a way that factors in environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues? Cities in emerging economies, particularly in Africa, face numerous challenges in 

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A resilient city doesn’t stop at flood gates

by Lauren Stabler, PhD student at the Global Sustainability Institute, Anglia Ruskin University In this afternoon’s session “Inclusive governance: partnering with communities and marginalized groups”, representatives of the Rockefeller Foundation, the International Labour Organization, Women in Informal Employment Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) and IIED made a strong case for inclusivity, from which four key lessons can 

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