The fourth global dialogue and investment-focused event under the Mitigation Work Programme helped promote global efforts to urgently scale up climate ambition and action this decade.
Taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, earlier this month the event attracted participants from Parties and observer organizations (both online and in person). Participants focused their discussions on boosting city-level climate action.
“This global dialogue, together with the investment-focused event, is a vital opportunity to understand opportunities, best practices, challenges and barriers and to develop actionable and scalable solutions to accelerate ambition and implementation,” said Daniele Violetti, UN Climate Change’s Senior Director of Programmes Coordination.
Under the broad theme of ‘buildings and urban systems,’ participants at the global dialogue discussed important elements to foster sustainable and low-carbon cities, including:
- Spatial planning and low-carbon infrastructure.
- Electrification and switching to net-zero emission resources.
- Enhancing carbon storage through green and blue infrastructure.
The investment-focused event kicked off with a panel discussion focusing on structural barriers related to mobilizing investment, followed by a presentation on lessons learned to unlock finance at the city level. It also included a Pitch Hub where countries ‘pitched’ project ideas to investors, financial institutions, and other policymakers to facilitate investment and project preparation.
Some key points highlighted by participants:
- Integrated urban planning that emphasizes circular economy principles, material reuse, and inclusive design is essential for achieving deep emission reductions and fostering climate-resilient development, despite the challenges in quantifying its mitigation potential due to its inherent complexity.
- Retrofitting older infrastructure for energy efficiency and decarbonization faces key barriers, including financial constraints, long project timelines, social resistance, and lack of stakeholder engagement, complicated by waste management and rapid urbanization. Addressing informal settlements, job creation, and energy poverty is also essential for enhancing urban resilience.
- Knowledge and learning exchanges grounded in regional perspectives can identify effective climate actions and policymaking strategies on urban emissions and address opportunities for emissions avoidance, low-carbon infrastructure, and renewable energy.
Next steps
Under the guidance of the mitigation work programme’s co-chairs, the secretariat will prepare a summary report of the fourth global dialogue and investment-focused event, as well as the annual report of the Sharm el-Sheikh mitigation ambition and implementation work programme, ahead of COP29.
Learn more
- Fourth global dialogue and investment-focused event under the Sharm el-Sheikh mitigation ambition and implementation work programme
- Sharm el-Sheikh mitigation ambition and implementation work programme
Source – UNFCCC