Climate Change Smart Cities Uncategorized Well Being

Transformative Urban Coalitions for an Emission Free Future

Transformative Urban Coalitions, as a project to develop strategies and effectively reduce emissions.                     
Author: Mobin Varghese Thomas
Reference: World Resources Institute (WRI)
The present-day world is deeply affected by various challenges like extreme heat waves, water crisis, deteriorating natural assets and air pollution. It is also studied that cities are responsible for about 75% of global carbon emissions. As expected, these instances can adversely affect the quality of life and place severe risk factors on the infrastructure.

The alternatives that have arisen as an immediate response to these issues are alternative construction techniques and better public transport. Though these alternatives can provide temporary relief, it is far from attaining a large-scale relief and cannot bring about a transformative change. 

For a long-lasting and far-reaching response to the issues that affect the climatic conditions, there has to be a perspective that aims to transform cities into sustainable cities. The cities have to streamline their existing political, social and technological systems to reinforce high-carbon, resource-intensive urbanization. This process is rather elaborate and requires the constant participation of all the stakeholders from individuals to the government. 

The guiding principle of the Transformative Urban Coalitions project is to focus the urban transformation around decarbonization, social justice and quality of life. The ambitious project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety under its International Climate Initiative and aims to transform urban structures and the values associated with it. These intentions are achieved by influencing the mindsets of the urban citizens and leaders and also by developing new urban strategies.

Various organisations have joined hands to work closely with the native partners to develop and establish fresh models of coalition building and governance through five ‘Urban Labs’ in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. The organisations involved are WRI, the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU – EHS), International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and German Development Institute (DIE)

A number of communication techniques and mass media are used to effectively convey the importance of sustainability. The project aims to influence the audience through the means of film and art, as transformative research, communication strategies and capacity building activities are essential for its success  Thereby, circulating these models around the world to build a society centred around sustainability. 

Image credit: Instituto de la Vivienda de la Ciudad

Reference: World Resources Institute (WRI)

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