Think Globally, Act Locally, Innovate Collectively

Edward Cameron Director, International Climate Initiative Asian Urban Forum | 17 November 2011

"It's obvious where the fight for a sustainable civilization will be decided and that's in large cities"
Peter Loescher, CEO Siemens Business Week, June 2010

"In a time of revolution the status quo is not a winning hand"

Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank Speech at Spring Meetings, 2011

Cities shaping the future

Edward Cameron Director, International Climate Initiative

 Meta-trends are shaping our cities and changing our world Addressing these trends means building effective enabling environments across scales of governance Strategies for success: What can we do to catalyze sustainable cities in Asia?

Key messages

Edward Cameron Director, International Climate Initiative

A climate constrained world

"The human drama of climate change will largely be played out in Asia, where over 60% of the world's population live. Over half of these live near the coast".
Sources: up in Smoke: Asia and Pacific. New Economics Foundation, 2007.

30%-50% of the entire population of cities in developing countries live in settlements that have been developed in environmentally fragile areas.

A climate constrained world

If all production and consumption based emissions are included urban residents likely account for more than 80% of the world's GHG emissions

78% of total new energy capacity will be in developing countries

If all announced policies are implemented, 58% of new capacity installed by 2035 will be renewable - much of that innovation will need to come from cities

The energy of tomorrow

Sources: IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and IEA World Energy Outlook 2010 New Policy Scenario.

In 1900 14% of the World's population lived in urban areas. This reached 50% in 2007. According to the UN urbanites could make up 65% of the global population by 2030. China and India are expected to build more new city area by 2030 than all of humanity built throughout history. The city of tomorrow will be built in the developing world.

We often hear of the problems in cities relating to poverty, poor planning and governance, environmental problems, and mobility issues

The city of tomorrow (1)

China has about 90 cities with a middle class population of 250,000 or more. By 2020 that number will increase to 400. 50 cities will have more than 1m middle class inhabitants.

6.5% of the global population live in the world's ten largest city regions. These regions account for 43% of all economic activity. Clustering Force the concentration of talented and productive people generate new ideas, enhance productivity and increases in output and wealth.

The city of tomorrow (2)

"It is the predicament of mankind that man can perceive the problematic, yet despite his considerable knowledge and skills he does not understand the origins, significance, and interrelationships of its many components and is thus unable to devise an effective response"

The practical difficulties

 International Enabling Environment understanding opportunities and challenges

Think Differently!

Addressing climate is a balancing act

Build the rules

Build the incentives

Build the regime

The right enabling environment

Scale, channelling institutions, form, new and additional, accessibility, pace, conditionality

Appropriations, absorption capacity, governance challenges, project pipeline, value for money, financial constraints

Investing in the future: the concerns

 Decarbonize the city of tomorrow transport, energy efficiency, and renewable energy Develop the right tools, incentives and processes for municipal environmental infrastructure

Think Differently!

Decarbonizing Cities

Understand the problem: complete GHG inventories and develop reduction action plans through the GHGP for cities.

Reduce transport emissions, switch to accessible, lower emissions integrated transport systems. Avoid, Shift, and Improve!

Change the Energy mix: catalyze green power

Change the energy mix: enabling environment

Risk assessments (GENIEs) Technical assistance, capacity building, experience sharing

Concessional loans, local appropriations, loan refinancing, EPCs, risk guarantees, tax incentives

Smart Grids, installation, maintenance, and operations

Change the energy mix: invest in governance

Executive agencies capacity to promote renewables Regulatory agencies' capacity to oversee implementation Utilities' capacity to promote efficiency and clean technology Transparency of policy, planning, and regulatory processes Stakeholder engagement in policy, planning and regulatory processes

We have choices to make!

Edward Cameron Director, International Climate Initiative