9 March 2012: The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) and the European Commission (EC) have launched a project, titled “Promoting Low Emission Urban Development Strategies in Emerging Economy Countries” (URBAN-LEDS), which aims to support cities’ efforts in mitigating climate change.

The project will: promote more sustainable patterns for urban development; formulate and adopt urban low-emissions development strategies; and offer a platform for cities to share their experiences and lessons with other cities around the world. It will initially focus on Brazil, South Africa, India and Indonesia. The project is expected to facilitate a broader interaction between local authorities and global climate actors, to ensure that local governments are appropriately integrated into the global climate mitigation regime.

The project, which will run from March 2012 to August 2015, recognizes that cities are responsible for a large proportion of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and that they can be critical in reducing emissions. ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, will serve as the main implementing partner. [UN-HABITAT, EC, ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability Joint Press Release]