On November 5, a side event on the theme “Brics+ Urban Climate Agenda Report - Flagship Initiative for a More Sustainable World”, co-hosted by the Department for Economic Policy and Development of Moscow and the Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation (GIUI), was held in the framework of the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12). BRICS+ Urban Climate Agenda Report, released in the session, comprehensively showcases the positive practices and achievements of cities in BRICS countries in addressing climate change. This report was initiated by the Moscow Analysis Center, with active participation from the GIUI. Mobilize relevant BRICS cities online by the Guangzhou Award to jointly promote the development of this research outcome.

Cheremin Sergey, Moscow Government Minister, Head of Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow, attended and delivered a speech. Maria Bagreeva, Deputy Mayor of Moscow, presented the Brics+ Urban Climate Agenda Report. The report covers a number of key areas such as energy consumption, green transportation, urban green space construction and waste management, and provides an in-depth analysis of the innovative practices as well as successful cases of 20 BRICS cities in climate action, such as policy innovations, strategic deployment, optimization of business models, and partnership building. She noted that the report aimed to provide a reference for sustainable development for cities around the world, to help cities formulate scientific strategies and action plans, and to promote the exchange of experience and cooperation among cities in various countries, thereby realizing the efficient sharing of knowledge and resources.

Lei Weiju, Deputy Director General of the Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office, stated that the Brics+ Urban Climate Agenda Report is a significant outcome of pragmatic international urban cooperation. It showcases the latest achievements and practical experiences of BRICS cities in addressing climate change to the international community, assisting global climate governance with a deeper and more substantial development. He noted that in recent years, Guangzhou has thoroughly implemented President Xi Jinping's thoughts on ecological civilization, actively building a pilot city for peak carbon emissions, and has embarked on a path of high-quality green and low-carbon development. He shared Guangzhou's green development experiences, citing examples such as low-carbon transportation, circular economy, and urban-park integration.

Afterward, Nicholas You, Executive Director of the Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation; Bernhard Barth, Climate Change and Urban Environment & Human Settlements Officer of UN-Habitat; Helene Chartier, Director of Urban Planning and Design of C40; Paul Currie, Director of Urban Systems Unit at ICLEI Africa; and Franz Gatzweiler, Professor from the Institute of Urban Environment at Chinese Academy of Science participated in the discussion session. Participants had an in-depth exchange on the application and promotion of the Brics+ Urban Climate Agenda Report, exploring how to assess the efficiency of local governments' climate policies and design future policies and strategies. Mr. You emphasized the importance of establishing a knowledge-sharing platform among BRICS+ cities, which can facilitate the exchange of climate policies and related data and provide valuable insights for other regions. Participants also discussed the potential for global scaling up and replication of the good cases in the report. The session built an efficient knowledge exchange platform for all parties and further promoted cooperation and dialogue among global cities on the climate agenda.

Learn more about the Brics+ Urban Climate Agenda Report:

https://urbanclimate.moscow/en/cities-of-the-brics/

The World Urban Forum (WUF), established by the United Nations in 2001, is the premier global conference on sustainable urbanization. The Forum brings together participants from around the world to discuss the major urban challenges nowadays. The twelfth World Urban Forum (WUF12) was held in Cairo, Egypt, from November 4th to 8th, 2024, entitled “It all starts at home: Local actions for sustainable cities and communities”, focusing on building strong coalitions to address key global challenges posed by the global housing crisis and climate change.