The 9th Sustainable Cities Conference: Towards low-carbon, Socially Just and Climate-Resilient Cities

Over two days, FES has brought together cities mayors, green building councils, urban planning experts, transport experts, environmental civil society organizations and international organizations from all over the MENA region to discuss how to improve the climate-resilient of cities across the MENA region. The 9th Sustainable Cities Conference participants exchanged regional best practices, lessons learned and inspiring examples on how to increase urban sustainability while decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as to adapt to climate change engaged in mobility, transportation, and urban sustainability in cities across the MENA region.

Discussion revolved around sustainable transportation effects of COVID-19 on the transport sector, transport worker’s rights, green mobility such as electric buses and micro-mobility, as well as sustainable urban spaces – including urban agriculture, net-zero carbon and industrial heating improvements. As part of the Sustainable Cities Series, the 9th Sustainable Cities Conference also focused on how we can reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) through the provision of high quality, green and safe public transport.

"This conference comes at a time where public transport workers are struggling to protect their jobs, and maintain their health. The ITF has worked with different countries to produce a paper in order to analyze the impact of Covid-19 on Public transport workers including women and youth; the future is changing and we need to get ready! We at the ITF continue to work to protect the rights of workers, spread awareness on different levels, and cooperate with our partners for the best of workers in this challenging sector". Out of this conference, we aim at building future steps with our affiliates on priorities to reflect the occupational health and safety (OHS) challenges." said Bilal Malkawi, from ITF Arab World.

"This is the 9^th year that FES Regional Energy and Climate Project is hosting the Sustainable Cities Conference for the Arab World! With mayors, transport researchers, urban planners, green building councils we will discuss the opportunities of post-COVID 19 urban planning, greener transport modes as well as decarbonizing the building sector. Our regional transport partner organizations UITP and ITF will present studies and first findings in the conference.” Franziska Wehinger, the head of Regional Climate and Energy MENA project at FES, concluded.