“Climate Neutral Cities” seminar to be held on 23 September 2009
Geneva, 22 July 2009 --
What do the Empire State Building and the Oxford Eco-House have in common? What similar policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are being implemented in Frankfurt and Lausanne? How are private sector companies contributing to making buildings more energy efficient? How does a “passive house” work? These and other questions will be answered during a seminar on “Climate Neutral Cities” to be organized at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on 23 September 2009 in order to focus on how urban planning and building can contribute to reducing GHG and enhance the overall sustainability of a city.
Despite various initiatives to address climate change, few focus on buildings and cities, and fewer still consider that urban and land use planning need to be integrated into climate change action plans. Indeed, it is not only the technological characteristics of buildings that contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases, but also the spatial and density attributes of communities and cities. Realizing the need to adopt a broader approach to combat climate change, the Committee on Housing and Land Management decided to initiate discussion of how better urban planning and energy-efficient construction can reduce GHG emissions in urban areas by organizing a seminar on “Climate Neutral Cities”.
As of now, climate neutral cities may sound more like an oxymoron than an achievable goal. Yet several cities have taken measures to reduce GHG emissions, and mechanisms are being identified on an urban scale to offset currently unavoidable emissions. Climate neutrality is not simply a goal in the fight against climate change, however. It is a means of addressing some of the major environmental, economic and social challenges comprising the broader sustainability agenda of urban areas. Climate neutrality also brings individual benefits, such as reduced costs, increased standards of living and improved health.
Guest speakers will examine the multidimensional approach of “Climate Neutral Cities”. These will include policymakers and authorities from various cities, who will present relevant policies as well as the challenges to governance posed by this concept. Experts from the public and private sectors will address the technical hurdles and provide practical solutions for reducing urban GHG emissions through land-use and transport planning, infrastructure, energy efficiency and overall building performance.
The full programme of the seminar is available at: http://www.unece.org/hlm/sessions/docs2009/CNCprogramme.htm
For more information, please contact:
Paola Deda
Secretary to the Committee on Housing and Land Management
UNECE Environment, Housing and Land Management Division
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Tel: +41 (0)22 917 2553
Fax: +41 (0)22 917 0107
E-mail: [email protected]
Ref: ECE/ENV/09/P18