Coalition For Urban Transitions – New International Initiative Founded

The Coalition for Urban Transitions aims to support decision makers to meet the objective of unlocking the power of cities

More than twenty major institutions will contribute towards the objective of unlocking the power of cities to reduce the risk of climate change through improvement of the national economic, social, and environmental performance. For this purpose, the foundation of the new international initiative ‘Coalition For Urban Transitions’ has been announced officially on 5 May 2016 in Washington, D.C.

Instead of adding just a new initiative, the Coalition For Urban Transitions is striving for ambitious objectives and results

The coalition aims to support decision-makers at the national level in countries around the world by linking city-level strategies with a broader economic planning. In-country engagement and economic research should help governments to put effective urban infrastructure investments at the heart of their growth strategies and maximize benefits sustainably for inhabitants as well as our planet.

Today is the launch of the Coalition for Urban Transitions with @NewClimateEcon + @c40cities https://t.co/bWU3L9jvN6 pic.twitter.com/ZMP4ESHu46

— WRISustainableCities (@WRIcities) 5. Mai 2016

Instead of adding just a new initiative, the Coalition For Urban Transitions is striving for ambitious objectives and results. The following topics are focused: 1) Building national policy frameworks 2) Financing the urban transition  3) Constructing the arguments  4) Tracking new innovations
More detailed information are provided on their website.

“Half the world’s most polluted cities are in India, including the top four in the world: Delhi, Patna, Gwalior, and Raipur”

Launched by the New Climate Economy, the WRI Ross Centre for Sustainable Cities and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), the coalition comprises leaders from think tanks, infrastructure providers, international organizations, research institutions, city networks or strategic advisory companies. Among many others this includes LSE Cities, Siemens, Bloomberg Philanthropies, WRI, C40, the African Centre for Cities, the OECD, the Urban Land Institute, and the Climate Policy Initiative.

“A billion people are expected to live in Chinese cities in the 2020s”

“The scale and pace of the global urban revolution happening now cannot be underestimated and the opportunities – if managed well – could be tremendous. For instance, just investing in sustainable transport offers not only social and environmental advantages but can also deliver savings of as much as $300 billion per year,” said Aniruddha Dasgupta, Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, the managing partner of the Coalition. “Getting this kind of information – about the clear economic benefits of building better cities – into the hands of decision makers can help set us on a path where each country can start to reap the benefits of an urban dividend.”

“Cities are the key to achieving both the Sustainable Development Goals and the national climate commitments of the Paris Agreement,” said Mayor of Tshwane, South Africa Kgosientso Ramokgopa. “This Coalition will build the evidence base for policymakers on the solutions that can unlock the power of cities to support better development and a better climate.”

A recently published positioning paper Shaping Urban Transitions provides an outline of urban challenges and the Coalition.