2025, 200 trillion dollars will be spent on urban infrastructure, mostly in developing countries, although they may involve engineering, technology and companies from developed countries. This urban growth can be used to develop cities that are productive in the use of natural resources, with a resilient low-carbon infrastructure that benefits the poorest, thus ensuring social development. In this sense, the concept of the GDP deserves to be revised to include metrics such as quality of life, happiness, and efficiency in the use of natural resources, among others.
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The green urban economy can and should contribute to a greener global economy.
“ Finally, a review of the global institutional framework for sustainable development, which to date has proved to be inadequate, is still essential. Besides the reform within the UN system, such as the strengthening of the United Nations Environment Program – UNEP, or the creation of a World Environment Organization, the form of social participation deserves to be strengthened. One possibility would be to divide the groups of interest (“stakeholder groups”) into governmental actors (“Governmental stakeholders”), companies and unions (“Business and Trade Unions”) and civil society. Regional and local governments would be part of the group of governmental actors, with greater responsibility and involvement in international decision-making.
* Lawyer, Master in Political Science (International Affairs - Development Studies), with a focus on Sustainability and Climate Change by ‘Sciences Po Paris - Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris - IEP / Paris’, Interim Regional Executive Secretary of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability / Secretariat for South America - SAMS
As a preparatory body of local governments for Rio +20, the ICLEI World Congress 2012, which is organized every three years, will take place in the city of Belo Horizonte. It will stage the mobilization and positioning in view of the progress of negotiations and will be a forum for the exchange of local experiences, display of good practice, of the progress achieved and of the foundations for the future of the cities. (www.iclei.org/ worldcongress2012). Rio +20 presents an opportunity to show the importance of the collaboration of local governments with the nations to define and achieve robust goals in global agreements on sustainable development. The green urban economy can and should contribute to a greener global economy.
For more information about ICLEI and Rio +20, visit http://www.iclei.org/local2012
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