During the COP29 in Baku, Anaclaudia Rossbach, executive director of UN-Habitat, warned about the negative impact of rapid and unplanned urban planning on biodiversity, the environment, and food security.
This phenomenon also leads to social fragmentation and financial deterioration.
Urban Planning and Emissions
The construction sector is responsible for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this, it is necessary to build 96 houses every day to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, requiring adequate funding and cooperation at all levels.
Impact of Climate Change on Cities
Cities are home to half of the world’s population and significantly contribute to global emissions. They disproportionately suffer the effects of climate change, with an additional temperature increase of at least 0.5 degrees Celsius expected by 2040.
Unsustainable Tourism
For the first time, the impact of tourism on the climate was discussed at a COP. In 2023, the tourism sector recovered from the depression caused by COVID-19, but it needs to reduce its carbon footprint.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, emphasized the importance of focusing on tourism to counteract climate change.
Climate Financing
Negotiations in Baku focus on agreeing on a new objective for climate financing, especially for the most vulnerable countries.
The Alliance of Small Island States and the least developed countries need minimum allocation levels of $39,000 and $220,000 million per year, respectively.
Climate Debt
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jiwoh Abdulai, insisted that financing should be considered a climate debt and not charity. This perspective reflects the concerns of many developing countries about how climate financing should be provided.
Definition of Developing Country
The debate also includes the definition of a developing country, with some negotiators arguing that certain countries no longer qualify due to the growth of their economies since 1992.
Cecilia Kinuthia-Njenga from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change highlighted the importance of flexibility and cooperation in multilateralism.
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