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World Bank, global environment facility launch green cities project
According to a 2015 UN study, around 70% of the world's population will be living in cities by 2030. – Reuters file pic, March 10, 2016. Sustainable cities project backed by India, China, and Brazil will develop new tools for greener planning in key urban centres.
A new multi-million dollar project to promote sustainable development in more than 23 cities around the world launched yesterday in Singapore.
The Global Platform for Sustainable Cities (GPSC), backed by the World Bank and Global Environment Facility (GEF), aims to boost investment, data sharing, and greener planning practices in key developing cities around the world.
The GEF is contributing US$151.6 million to the pilot project, but the programme is expected to drive up to US$1.15 billion of co-financing investment into urban sustainability programmes over the next five years.
Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Peru, South Africa and Vietnam are among the core group of countries backing the initiative, but officials hope the project's effects will influence urban development around the world.
Naoko Ishii, chief executive of the GEF, said compact, resilient, and resource efficient cities can drive growth and job creation while also protecting the environment and the health of their citizens.
"In a rapidly urbanizing world, how we design and build the cities of the future will play a critical role in protecting the global commons, the planet's finite environmental resources that have provided for the stable conditions enjoyed by humanity for thousands of years," he said.
The GPSC will support city mayors and other municipal leaders to establish urban sustainability indicators in their cities and adopt an "evidence-based" approach to urban planning.
Through a combination of studies, workshops and online data the programme will promote action to make cities more resilient to climate impacts such as flooding, and tackle infrastructure challenges such as energy efficiency and air quality.
According to a 2015 UN study, around 70% of the world's population will be living in cities by 2030.
The fast majority of this urban growth will take place in Asia and Africa – key focus areas for the GPSC project. – Bernama, March 10, 2016.
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