On April 10, mayors, senior city officials, finance industry leaders, and NGO partners will gather at the third-annual Financing Sustainable Cities Forum to discuss new solutions for accelerating investment in more resilient, prosperous, and sustainable cities. Hosted by C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, and the Citi Foundation, this one-day event in the heart of Manhattan’s financial district will explore why, in today’s world, green investment is smart investment.
As part of the C40 #Women4Climate initiative, a program working to empower and inspire the next generation of women climate leaders, the forum will also include a Women4Financing Sustainable Cities luncheon for members of the media. This panel will focus on the important role women in finance can play in championing investment solutions to climate change; challenges and opportunities in green finance in the Trump administration; and opportunities for collaboration between cities, investors, and the private sector. Women speakers at the Forum will include Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, New York Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, and Citi Foundation President Brandee McHale.
The Financing Sustainable Cities Initiative (FSCI), funded by the Citi Foundation, is a partnership between WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group that helps cities accelerate and scale up investments in sustainable urban solutions. To learn more, visit www.financingsustainablecities.org.
“If we’re going to meet the ambitious targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it’s imperative that we work across sectors to combine our expertise, share what’s working, and bridge the gaps in sustainable infrastructure finance—our cities and residents depend on it,” said Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation and director of Corporate Citizenship at Citi. “We are thrilled to once again to convene leaders in the public and private sector, including the pioneering women in this space, to discuss tangible ways to scale up investments in sustainable urban solutions for more resilient and livable cities.”
“Without unprecedented action by the world's largest cities, the Paris Agreement cannot realistically be delivered,” said Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. “We are living now in the most critical window for investing in sustainable urban infrastructure to set the world on the path toward a climate safe future. But cities cannot act alone – investors and the private sector must rise to the opportunity to invest in sustainable cities. C40 is honored to co-host the third annual Financing Sustainable Cities Forum alongside New York City, with the generous support of Citi Foundation, to provide a public platform for discussion of innovative solutions to this challenge of financing and funding sustainable, inclusive cities.”
“Cities are changing quickly, and infrastructure and services are straining to keep up,” said Jessica Seddon, Director of Interated Urban Strategy, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. “This represents an opportunity as well as a challenge – it creates pressure to move faster in creating housing, water supply, energy, waste treatment, public transportation and other support systems, but we have the chance to meet these needs in more sustainable, resource-efficient ways. We need to seize this opportunity, and finance is a critical part of the solution. Every year we’re falling short on infrastructure financing by some $1.5-2 trillion – we need to turn this around. Our work with FSCI supports cities throughout the challenging last mile of converting finance into sustainable infrastructure and services by identifying winning business models – pricing and funding streams, service provision and other elements that create both immediate results and are designed to last. The FSCI Forum will bring together key financing stakeholders to discuss the newest ways to close the gap and move from agenda to action.”
Please visit the event website for up to date information on speakers and agenda.
