Tag: Habitat III

2016 was a monumental year for C40, our member cities and our mayors. Not only did the Paris Agreement enter into force less than one year after COP21, but we also saw the number of C40 member cities grow to 90, representing more than 650 million citizens, and our Steering Committee unanimously elected the first-ever woman C40 Chair, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, to lead the organisation. Below, we look back at ten key moments that made 2016 a very productive and important year. 

This week in Quito, Ecuador, international leaders have gathered in support of the New Urban Agenda, which lays the groundwork for improving the lives of more than half of the world’s population. Habitat III follows the historic adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015 and the Paris Agreement on climate change in December 2015, marking the logical next step to set the world on a pathway towards more inclusive, sustainable, and thriving cities.

Mayors of the world’s major cities have called for national governments and international financial institutions to help finance low-carbon and sustainable projects. These reforms are crucial for implementing the New Urban Agenda and meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. 

In 2015, cities played a central role at COP21 in Paris, pushing national leaders to reach the ambitious Paris Climate Agreement. The New Urban Agenda, to be adopted at the Habitat III Conference in Quito next week, will join the Paris Agreement, the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and other recent international agreements as part of a global framework for sustainability. After many rounds of negotiations, urban governance and the role of local governments have been recognized in its final draft. This is a success for the collective advocacy of the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments – a platform of city networks of which C40 is a member. It is also a sign of the tremendous commitment from mayors to create equitable, prosperous, low-carbon and resilient cities.