Urbanisation enables economic growth; however, innovative solutions are required to ensure the growth is equitable. Better managing ecosystem goods and services is one of the approaches towards ensuring equitable economic growth in cities.
Ecosystem goods and services derive the benefits they provide from the environment, and these benefits enable life and improve its quality. Ecosystem services supply the city and its people with food, water and sanitation, improve the air quality, and ensure climate resilience. In addition, they provide energy and raw materials for the city's economy to grow.
On behalf of Cities Alliance, Vivid Economics, based in London (United Kingdom), has conducted a study to assess tools which can be used by local governments to make the most productive use of the existing ecosystem assets in a city. Analysis of case studies on ecosystem policy interventions from five cities Arequipa (Peru), Bengaluru (India), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Lilongwe (Malawi) and Chengdu (China) helped identify policy success factors and challenges in driving a city's equitable economic growth.
In conjunction with UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development to be convened in New York in July 2019 to review Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 on Climate Action, the Cities Alliance Joint Work Programme (JWP) on Equitable Economic Growth is delighted to organise a webinar discussion informed by the diagnostic work conducted by Vivid Economics. This will complement the 2019 HLPF theme of “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.”
Panelists:
Dr. Rene Peter Hohmann, Cities Alliance
Ms Caroline Vexler, Vivid Economics
Dr. Rob McDonald, The Nature Conservancy
Ms Prerna Bhardwaj, Cities Alliance (Moderator)
Contact: Prerna Bhardwaj (prernab@unops.org)
To join the Webinar, use the following link: https://zoom.us/j/368958066
Date and Time: Friday, 12th July 2019 at 14:00 CEST
