International Waters learning Exchange & Resource Network

Going Urban for Sustainable Cities: GEF at ICLEI World Congress

11 Apr 2015 | by thegef.org
On Saturday, April 11, in Seoul, Korea, the GEF CEO Naoko Ishii met with mayors, leaders of local governments, and city-based networks, together with national governments and international organizations at the ICLEI World Congress to discuss issues related to urbanization from an environmental standpoint. ICLEI- or Local Governments for Sustainability, was founded in 1990 as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives and leads the international focus on sustainable cities.

Financing for cities is critical to the GEF. First, the world is rapidly urbanizing: by 2050, cities will be home to two-thirds of the world's population. Most of this urban migration will take place in developing countries, to cities that are largely unbuilt or unfinished. OECD and IEA estimate that US$50 trillion in investment is required over the next 15 years to deliver basic urban infrastructure and services, such as transport, energy efficient buildings, telecommunications, and water and waste infrastructure. Secondly, as Naoko Ishii said, "cities in many ways hold the key to the future of our globe and humanity. If we can get our cities right, we can also make a major contribution to sustainable development."