The IAI Directorate announces the establishment of a co-designed urban initiative with the cities of Buenos Aires, Santiago and Sao Paulo

The IAI Directorate is pleased to announce its partnership with leading organizations, ministries and municipalities working on issues related to the impacts of climate change on cities. This partnership will develop a program on climate governance to provide the scientific knowledge needed by cities to guide policy and implement more effective decisions. Partners include the Centro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia ((CR)2), Chile, ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), Rede Clima, the Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA), Argentina, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) representatives from the Secretaria do Verde e do Meio Ambiente da Prefeitura do Município de São Paulo and the Governo do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil, Ministerio de la Vivienda y Urbanismo (MINVU), División de Desarrollo Urbano del MINVU, Chile, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Chile, and Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires in the development of an initiative on climate governance, to provide the scientific knowledge needed to guide policy and put into practice decisions for sustainable cities to better cope with climate change.

The first meeting of this Initiative was held on 2 to 3 April 2018 in Santiago, Chile, where participants initiated the co-design of a program aimed at providing guidance for adaptation and mitigation actions in the cities of Buenos Aires, Santiago and Sao Paulo. Activities will cover main issues facing these cities such as decarbonization (emission reductions from transportation, land-use, waste management, green spaces and housing), health (impacts of climate and air quality, such as respiratory diseases, dengue and yellow fever) and extreme events and disasters (floods, droughts, heat and cold waves).

This initiative will provide the results of cutting edge science and research to IAI Parties to assist in reaching better decisions at sub-national levels, including the municipal and local communities level. The development of a pilot network with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, ICLEI, PAHO and UNOSSC, is aimed at development of possible activities and projects related to climate change, emissions and air pollution.

Earlier last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) co-organized a Cities IPCC Conference in Edmonton, Canada. The IPCC plans to have a special report on climate change and cities that will result in a blueprint for new scientific research supporting effective climate action strategies in cities around the world. The 9th World Urban Forum has called for a new urban agenda to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals and support climate action. This meeting is opportune given that the rules and mechanisms for the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions are still under development. Moreover, the IPCC Special Report of 1.5°C to be released later this year will underscore the importance of the scientific knowledge assessed to guide international negotiations.

The IAI Directorate is grateful for the enthusiasm and support received from all partners towards this innovative initiative. Furthermore, the Directorate expresses its gratitude to the Government of Chile and its representative to the IAI, for the support received and CR2 staff for hosting this meeting.

More information about this initiative will be made public during the U20 Mayors Summit to be held in October 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

From right to left: Laura CENEVIVA, Secretária Executiva do Comitê de Mudança do Clima e Ecoeconomia do Município de São Paulo, Secretaria do Verde e do Meio Ambiente, São Paulo. Jussara DE LIMA CARVALHO, International Affairs Advisor, Secretariat for Environment, São Paulo State Government. Tercio AMBRIZZI. Researcher of IAI Collaborative Research Network 3005 – Rede Clima, Brazil. Pedro Roberto JACOBI, President of ICLEI South America Administrative Council – Instituto de Estudos Avançados da USP Xiaohua ZHANG, Manager, Climate and Sustainable Development Programme, UN Office for South South Cooperation.