28 April 2018: The Resilient Cities Congress 2018 convened in Bonn, Germany, ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference, which is meeting through 10 May. The Congress brought together representatives of governments and non-government stakeholders to review and discuss options for joint climate action going forward, and contribute to the Talanoa Dialogue.
‘Resilient Cities 2018: The 9th Global Forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation’ convened from 26-28 April 2018. Resilient Cities 2018 is part of the Cities and Regions Talanoa Dialogues, which aim to: strengthen climate action at all levels; look at structures and communication channels that enable coordinated action; and help develop locally sourced solutions that bring urban and climate perspectives together and create space for collaboration.
In her statement to the Forum, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa said the Talanoa Dialogue can serve as a model for communicating with private citizens in cities and as an opportunity for cities to have their voices heard and experiences shared. She stressed that cities can do more to contribute to global climate goals, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and improved resilience by: incorporating climate change into current actions and policies, including infrastructure, finance and procurement; incorporating climate change and sustainability into future planning to ensure smarter growth; and communicating with citizens about climate change in ways that matter to them. Espinosa said that building the necessary partnerships, sharing required information and reducing jurisdictional hurdles will help achieve climate goals and the SDGs, which are inextricably linked.
The carbonn Climate Registry includes data from 155 cities and regions that have reported climate adaptation or integrated mitigation-adaptation plans.
The Forum discussed ways to drive resilient urban development through, inter alia: stronger urban, regional and territorial dimensions in climate action; evidence-based, science-driven policy; open information and data sharing, while ensuring security; and collaborative action across stakeholder groups and all government levels, as exemplified by the Cities and Regions Talanoa Dialogues.
The Forum focused on ways in which local and regional governments are moving ahead to advance resilience planning, SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) targets and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). It also addressed ways for cities to contribute to global reviews and inform national adaptation frameworks by compiling and reporting DRR efforts.
Various Forum sessions considered, among others: strengthening the connection between the public sector and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); alliances between insurance companies and cities to help prevent shocks, reduce losses and transfer risk; a global research agenda for cities and climate science, agreed during the Cities and Climate Change Science Conference in March 2018; and efforts being undertaken through the Front-lines Cities and Islands coalition.
Participants were briefed on the carbonn Climate Registry (cCR), which now includes data from 155 cities and regions that have reported climate adaptation or integrated mitigation-adaptation plans, representing around 15% of more than 1,000 cities, towns and regions reporting to cCR. The cCR is a voluntary and public reporting platform for local and subnational governments to report and monitor their climate and energy commitments, emissions performance and climate actions.
The annual Resilient Cities, convened by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, is the global platform for urban resilience and climate change adaptation. It was launched in 2010 to connect local government leaders and adaptation experts to discuss challenges facing urban environments and forge partnerships to improve urban resilience. [UNFCCC Press Release] [Resilient Cities 2018 Website] [Highlights from Day 1] [Highlights from Day 2] [Highlights from Day 3]