How can the development of cities contribute to combating climate change? Planning and management, keys to the fight

Las cities can play a significant role in combating climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean, especially for the protection of its population, since according to estimates by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), 80% of the losses caused by natural disasters in the region occur in urban areas.

For the IDB, the cities well planned and managed can offer solutions to deal with the climate change and lead the necessary transformations to lead a more sustainable world.

“Although national governments are called upon to manage and ensure the reduction of harmful emissions, cities they play a key role in achieving climate goals,” is described in an IDB article edited by Daniel Peciña Lopez.

The article refers to the commitment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Country Agreement, where it is defined that global warming must be below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius.

In this context, the article highlights that, despite such commitments, current Nationally Determined Contributions are estimated to result in warming of 2.4 degrees Celsius by 2100.

For the IDB, it is important that cities get involved in this commitment, since currently decision-making at the local level is usually more agile than at the federal level, which can help respond, in a timely manner, to global challenges.

“Because they are in close contact with local citizens and businesses, subnational governments are often in a better position to influence the behavior of consumers and producers, and implement climate policies at the urban level,” the article highlights.

In this scenario, the cities can influence issues that would help contribute to reducing carbon emissions, such as:

• Transport regulation.
• building construction.
• Space planning.
• Waste management.
• Economic affairs by the authorities.

According to the article, national governments, together with local ones, must promote policies and incentives to ensure that initiatives at the city level have the resources, adequate regulatory frameworks and the capacity to achieve significant change.

“The objective of these policies is to contribute, in a joint and coordinated manner, to the achievement of national commitments and global climate and environmental goals,” the document states.

For the IDB, it is necessary that the cities have established their nationally determined contributions, so some recommendations are:

• Involve the governments of the cities in the design and implementation of goals, through a strengthened dialogue between the national and local levels.
• Incorporate the efforts of the municipal governments both in the development and in the updating of the goals.
• Improve vertical coordination and cooperation between levels of government.
• Develop a framework strategy for localization of targets with connected support for the governments of the cities.
• Address the interrelationships between different agendas (for example, SDGs, risk management, biodiversity, development plans) and take advantage of synergies.
• Establish local climate plans and support implementation and local financing.
• Strengthen technical capacity and knowledge at the city level, followed by adequate access to financing.
• Support joint efforts for the collection, processing and use of data.

For the IDB, these issues need to be addressed at the next meeting of Mayors 2022, within the framework of the World Summit Against Climate Change, which will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 19 to 21.