3 July 2018: Planners for Climate Action issued a statement calling on cities and urban planners to address climate change through planning practices, capacity building and knowledge development. The communiqué notes that the group should be a key voice in discussions on how to deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change, given planners’ experience and the relevance of cities.

Acknowledging that human settlements release the majority of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the document titled, ‘Planner for Climate Action Communiqué,’ highlights the rapid speed with which cities and urbanization are altering economies and the environment alike. The document stresses that, with urban populations growing by 1.3 million people each week, urban planning and infrastructure development are critical to setting cities on a pathway to a sustainable future.

The global call for action asks that all who take part in planning cities and human settlements, including national officials, the private sector and civil society, undertake ambitious action in their respective capacities. It commits to: incorporate climate change into planning practices; integrate effective climate action into graduate-level urban and regional planning curricula; and support research, modeling and tools to address climate change.

Urban development patterns can positively influence public transportation and reduce GHG emissions.

Recognizing that the “important role” of planning and planners is enshrined in target 11.b of SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), which calls for, by 2020, increasing the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards mitigation and adaptation, the communiqué offers examples of individual and joint actions that planners can take to address climate change. The document notes, for example, that compact urban development patterns can positively influence public transportation and reduce GHG emissions.

Addressing climate risk and hazards, the document calls for improving informal settlements, density and safety, among other actions. It emphasizes that in doing so, working with national actors and across multiple levels of governance can simultaneously achieve national and local targets, and make progress towards countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Planners for Climate Action was formed during the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the UNFCCC, held in Bonn, Germany, in November 2017. The group leads efforts to mainstream climate mitigation and adaptation into land-use planning, supports the integration of practices that promote a “climate-friendly” built environment, and stimulates a participatory, bottom-up approach to planning, among other activities. [Planner for Climate Action Communiqué] [UN Habitat News Story]