Published on Sustainable Cities

One Planet Summit: Three climate actions for a resilient urban future

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Two years ago, more than 180 countries gathered in Paris to sign a landmark climate agreement to keep global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius.

Tomorrow, on December 12, 2017, exactly two years after the signing of the historic Paris Agreement, the government of France will be hosting the One Planet Summit in Paris to reaffirm the world’s commitment to the fight against climate change. [[avp asset="/content/dam/videos/ecrgp/2018/jun-19/video_blog_with_ede-sameh_on_climate_summit_-_final_hd.flv"]]/content/dam/videos/ecrgp/2018/jun-19/video_blog_with_ede-sameh_on_climate_summit_-_final_hd.flv[[/avp]]
At the summit, mayors from cities around the world, big and small, will take center stage with heads of state, private sector CEOs, philanthropists, and civil society leaders to discuss how to mobilize the financing needed to accelerate climate action and meet the Paris Agreement goals.

Why must we bring city leaders to the table for climate discussions? 

Cities are home to more than half of the world’s population, and account for more than 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions.  It is cities that stand at the forefront against rising threats of natural disasters. In other words, the climate challenge is very much an urban challenge.  


Cities are also a key part of the climate solution. The decisions of cities today will make or break the world’s climate action toward a resilient future. 

[Download report: Investing in Urban Resilience ]

At the One Planet Summit, the World Bank Group and its partners will be highlighting some of the decisions cities are making—and the actions they are increasingly taking—to build resilience to climate change and disaster risks  and foster climate-smart growth, particularly in these three areas:

 

  1. Resilient cities
  2. Hydromet (hydrological + meteorological) services
  3. Disaster risk finance and climate insurance
New or renewed climate initiatives for urban resilience will also be launched at the summit, including: There’s more to look forward to at the One Planet Summit. Watch Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez ( @Ede_WBG) and Sameh Wahba ( @SamehNWahba), Senior Director and Director of the World Bank’s Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice, as they provide a preview of what to expect for the world’s cities at the One Planet Summit in Paris.
 

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Authors

Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez

Former Regional Director, Africa, Sustainable Development Practice Group

Sameh Wahba

Regional Director, Sustainable Development, Europe and Central Asia, The World Bank

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