Together with transport, the
building and construction sector
lead efficiency and climate mitigation
at city and national levels, and it is
precisely with this objective that UNEP
has decided to focus on this sector, not
only through needed policy frameworks,
but also and mainly through a multi-
stakeholders approach bringing
together private sector companies,
NGOs, government agencies and
associations. Initially focused on
performance, assessment
of policy instruments, baselines
and tools, the attention has been
progressively expanded to material
and water consumption and waste
generation, in addition to energy
and carbon emissions. This was
then expanded to sustainable public
procurement, sustainable tourism and
food systems, with a focus on food
wastes, notably through the global
“Think, Eat and Save” campaign.
With a global programme of work
structured around an integrated
approach of resource efficiency,
climate change and ecosystems
management, among other priorities,
UNEP is keen in actively advocating
for and promoting environmental
sustainability and contributing to
delivering sustainable development
through low-carbon, inclusive, green
and resilient economies and societies.
To that end, it is essential that
all countries, starting with leading
economies such as those under
G20, get engaged more pro-actively
in an objective and responsible low
carbon agenda, bringing government,
central and local, together with
business in a long term strategic
alliance with the aim at delivering the
badly needed transformative change
in policy frameworks and actions,
in market evolution and lifestyles,
towards responsible and sustainable
consumption and production patterns
for delivering sustainability.
Many of the problems that are
attributed to cities are consequences
of economic growth and consumer
behaviour. In this context, it is
particularly important to take into
consideration the growing global middle
class who are not only expected to live
longer due to improvements in health
care but are also characterized by their
increased purchasing capacity. With
the expected additional middle class
of about 3 billion in some 30 years,
the cities can be characterized as the
“industries of the three-quarters” in the
sense that, as an order of magnitude,
cities will host about three quarters,
between 70 and 90% depending on
sector and region, of the population, the
GDP, resources use, waste production
and CO2 emissions. This is to say that
there could be no sustainability if not
at city level and with resource efficient
cities with the aim to deliver sustainable
consumption and production.
However this requires knowledge
about and understanding of resource
flows to and within cities. Considering
the huge pressures cities will be facing
from a resource supply and demand
perspective, there is a need to support
cities and their networks in better
identifying and realising the economic,
social and environmental benefits of
resource efficiency and sustainable
consumption and production. And this
will result in improved resilience of cities
and thereon of countries from resulting
climate mitigation actions.
Ultimately, resource efficient cities
combine greater productivity and
innovation with lower costs and reduced
environmental impacts, making them the
engines to sustainability. ■
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