23 March 2010: During the fifth session of the World Urban Forum, being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 22-26 March 2010, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), and the World Bank jointly launched a Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Standard for cities.
The GHG Standard will provide a global and harmonized protocol for quantifying the amount of GHG emissions attributable to cities and local regions. It is expected that this common methodology for calculating GHG emissions on a per capita basis will support policy and access to finance, allowing cities to compare their performance. Given that emissions across cities depend on the primary energy source, climate, transportation mode and urban settlements, the GHG Standard allows cities to compare their emissions over time, across cities and across sectors such as energy, transportation or waste.
Zoubida Allaoua, World Bank Director for Finance, Economics, and Urban Development, noted that a common GHG Standard is critical to promote better understanding, inform citizens and target policies. Anna Tibaijuka, UN-HABITAT Executive Director, stressed that cities are a key part of the solution to support contained urban development, and promote sustainable ways of living such as efficient rapid public transit buses. [UNEP Press Release] [World Bank Press Release] [World Urban Forum Website]