08 Apr 2015 Speech Climate Action

Opening of the ICLEI World Congress 2015

Seoul Korea, 8 April 2015 Mr. Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul, Mr. David Cadman, President of ICLEI, Mr. Gino Van Begin, Secretary General of ICLEI, Distinguished Mayors, Honourable guests, Dear representatives from stakeholder groups, Ladies and gentlemen, It is an honour and a pleasure to be standing here with you today on the occasion of the ICLEI World Congress 2015. The choice of Seoul as the host city to the Congress is extremely judicious. Koreans are known all over the world as great hosts. We thank you for your generosity and your hospitality. We admire your discipline and your sense of duty. The resistance of Korean people is only matched by the resilience of the mugunghwa, a hibiscus flower, whose blossoms grace the entire country and is known to survive harsh conditions. The selection of the theme is also wise. UNEP's partnership with ICLEI, the major network of local governments dedicated to sustainable development, dates back to its creation. UNEP is proud to have been part of this journey since 1990. I congratulate ICLEI for the work it has carried out over the past 25 years, and the central position it has acquired on sustainability issues at the local level. This year, as the UN turns 70, major developments are expected. World leaders are expected to conclude their negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015 in New York. Earlier, in July, Addis Ababa will host a crucial Conference on Financing for Development. Later in the year, Paris will be in the limelight as it hosts the Conference on Climate Change where governments are expected to conclude a landmark agreement that will largely determine the future state of the planet. There are values that are shared across faiths, cultures and civilizations. Prosperity is a goal of every nation and dignity, a goal for every human being. Alas, in pursuit of that prosperity, we are abundantly using our natural resources; we are consuming our planet beyond sustainable limits. Today, more than half of the world's population lives in cities, and the trend continues, as some predict that urban dwellers will represent 70% of the world population by 2050. Yesterday's Homo sapiens had a lifestyle that was largely dependent on, but harmonious with nature. Tomorrow, the citizen will essentially be Homo urbanus. They will enjoy good lives in cities. They will have access to modern technology; they will travel much longer distances. They will have plenty. They will consume plenty. But they will also waste plenty. By 2050, city dwellers will shape the world. For better or for worse. They will be responsible for what I would call the striking "5 by 75". They will:

  • 1) represent more than 75% of the global GDP; 
 2) consume 75% of global energy; 
 3) consume 75% of extracted natural resources;
 4) be responsible for approximately 75% of global CO2 emissions; 
 5) be responsible for 75% of global waste generation.


As these figures clearly tell us, cities will continue to have a large ecological footprint. Special efforts will need to be deployed in large cities if we want to avoid unsustainable development patterns. Most of the resource flows that support cities are finite, so continuing global economic development will depend on decoupling growth from escalating resource use. A shortage of some of the world's key metals is likely to occur within the next 50 years, potentially affecting many industries. Yet, today's cities contain higher sources of special metals in their waste streams of mobile phones and computers, than in the best virgin ores. In other words, our waste piles may become our most accessible resources, if we do it right! Simply put, the old 3R-trio has never been as relevant as it is today: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle. Ladies and gentlemen, Let us talk about energy. Three quarters of the energy produced is consumed in cities. Industries are largely located in the vicinity, in some cases, in the middle of cities. The number of cities with more than a million inhabitants reached 378 in 2000 (up from 11 in 1990). By 2025, only 10 years from now, 600 cities will surpass the million people mark. This growth is largely taking place in the developing world. The demand for energy will be exponential as rural people with little or no access to energy migrate to urban areas. Yet, new urban dwellers are new local electors, new decision-makers. Local governments can turn these challenges into opportunities:

  • 1. First of all by promoting energy efficiency. District energy plans have become popular in both cold and high ambient temperatures. Smart grid technologies have proved themselves for their efficiency. The use of energy saving appliances and lightings, as well as improved building efficiency, would complete the battery of measures. There are options for all kinds of situations. 2. Secondly, renewable energy technologies have finally imposed themselves as technically and financially viable options. UNEP and its partners (Bloomberg and Frankfurt School) published, just last week, the 2015 report on Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investments.

Strikingly, the year 2014 saw more than 100 GW of renewable energy installations. Never before has this much energy capacity been added to the world from renewable sources, hydro excluded. More than US $270 billion was invested last year in sustainable energy technologies, up 17% from the previous year. This, against the backdrop of the financial crisis and the more than 50% collapse of oil prices in the second half of the year. It is worth noting that nearly half of these investments took place in developing and emerging nations, essentially in the solar and wind sectors. Indeed, countries such as Indonesia, Chile, Mexico, Kenya, South Africa and Turkey invested each more than a billion dollars in renewable energy in 2014. Ladies and gentlemen, Today, managing waste is one of the biggest challenges faced by local authorities. Solid waste, electronic waste, wastewater. Unfortunately, the wealthier we get, the more rubbish we produce! And the more wastewater we generate! Sadly, up to 90% of wastewater in developing countries goes untreated into rivers, lakes, and coastal zones, threatening health, food security and access to safe drinking water. Today, six hospital beds out of 10 in the developing world are filled with people affected by water-related diseases! We also waste a lot of food. Too much food, up to a third of our food production is wasted, not consumed. We live in a world of paradoxes and inequalities. Close to a billion people still go to bed hungry. At the same time, another billion suffers from obesity (including in developing countries). Some countries have reached more than 25% rate of obesity in their population, increasing dramatically related cardio-vascular diseases and health costs for governments. Larger quantities of food does not mean greater happiness and wealth. Most of the time it signifies more waste and unhealthy lives. Citizens aspire to cleaner cities, cleaner rivers and lakes. Sadly, many coastal areas are being deserted by tourists or companies due to the poor environment. A growing number of local authorities get rejected by their electors for their inability to improve on the quality of life of their citizens. The good news is waste management is not only ecologically critical but is also economically viable. Waste stockpiles may actually be mines. Appropriate waste management generates clean energy. Waste management creates jobs. Appropriate regulatory policy frameworks and incentives need to be put in place by decision-makers to incite citizens to make better choices. Changing the way we live does not mean giving away happiness, wealth or health. On the contrary, it changes the way we define and measure quality of life. Adopting a sustainable lifestyle entails accountability and responsibility. It ensures that when we leave this place to our children and their children, they too, can prosper. Ladies and gentlemen More often than not, we take for granted the air we breath. Unfortunately, in many mega-cities of the world, the issue of air quality has become a major concern, for both local citizens and investors. To the point that particulate matter levels have been regularly hitting the headlines in recent years. Poor air quality, this silent killer, has caused, according to a WHO report published last year, up to 7 million premature deaths. This burden is more than tuberculosis, malaria, AIDS, Ebola and road accidents combined. Asian mega-cities are particularly affected, though the phenomenon is truly global, and risks are growing worldwide. Another important action is the promotion of fuel-efficient cars as well as sustainable public transport systems. Bus rapid transport systems, metros, tramways: there are numerous examples from around the world, such as Guangzhou, Accra, Dubai, Bogota, etc. Sustainable public transport systems have multiple benefits, as they reduce CO2 emissions, improve health outcomes and improve the productivity of workers. Ladies and Gentlemen, I know, the next question is: all this requires financing, where will the money come from? «Le nerf de la guerre», as the French say. Finance is pivotal. It takes commitment to seize these opportunities to put us on a smart and sustainable path for prosperity. Part of this commitment should come in the form of public financing. Mostly domestic, notably through appropriate tax systems. International public financing would be an essential complement. However, sustainable development will largely be achieved with private investments. While most of the issues we raised earlier may appear as challenges, there are plenty of investment opportunities:

  • 1. At a time when companies are divesting from carbon-intense and polluting sectors, many are turning their attention to investments in clean energy, the energy of the future. Green investment will be the next frontier in terms of new markets, new opportunities, both in industrialized countries and in the energy-hungry developing world. 2. Similarly, energy efficiency measures call for financing: district cooling or district heating; energy-saving lighting and appliances; construction of, or renovation to, energy-efficient buildings; 3. Setting up efficient waste management systems require major private -bankable- investments; 4. Investing in sustainable public transport (trams, metros, efficient bus systems).

These investments need to be catalysed and supported by adequate policy reforms and regulation changes across all sectors. Investments in urban development will attract banks, insurance companies and pension funds. Evidence shows that when investments are targeted towards greening key economic sectors, they can produce multiple benefits to society, to the economy and to the environment. Local governments have the spending power to drive a transformation in such green investments. Regulators from all over the world (Central Banks, Ministries of Finance) are looking at alternative ways of financing sustainable development, beyond the traditional development cooperation funding streams. Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me conclude with few words on the importance of partnerships in achieving our ambition of sustainable solutions for an urban future. Obviously, our urban future will largely depend on partnerships between local authorities and national governments. We will continue to see shifts in the governance systems, with increasing empowerment of local governments. It is critical to build momentum for a new approach to urbanization, making cities the solution to pursue long-term well-being with low impact on the environment. The strong and successful collaboration between ICLEI and UNEP in advancing the sustainable cities agenda is proof of the effectiveness of partnerships. As we know, there are solutions and many of you in this hall have been working on these. Remarkable progress has been made in many parts of the world. We need to build on our successes. We need to upscale them. We need to be inspired by resilient species like the mugungwha, the symbolic significance of which stems from the word mugung, meaning immortality; a reflection of the enduring nature of Korean culture and the determination and perseverance of the Korean people. Adopting more sustainable solutions for an urban future is a moral obligation. The great news is that it also makes business sense. Thank you.