Mona Serageldin, Vice President of the Institute for International Urban Development
Title of speech: “Accelerated Urbanization and a Dynamic Concept of Sustainability”

Powerpoint presentation as pdf: Keynote Serageldin

Accelerated urbanization results in unplanned, often chaotic urban settlement patterns, pollution, resource scarcities, environmental degradation and increased vulnerability to climate change.   This situation is all too common throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the most rapidly urbanizing region in the world, as well as other developing countries.  It is undermining the very concept of sustainable urbanization.
Central and local authorities face planning dilemmas as they try to simultaneously meet the urgent needs of their constituencies and to achieve the MDG targets.  Furthermore, politicians and donors tend to focus on visible “quick win” projects, which detract from addressing the more difficult problems affecting sustainability.
Dealing with resource scarcities and environmental degradation and addressing the anticipated impacts of climate change while meeting the needs for affordable housing and access to services requires a dynamic framework that reflects the multidimensional character of sustainability.  This framework must allow for changes in priorities and shifting geographic scales to define the appropriate space for action from community based initiatives to transnational development corridors.

Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Head Urban Development Programme, OECD
Title of speech: “Cities and Green Growth: Towards a New generation of Sustainable Urban Development Policies”

Powerpoint Presentation as pdf: Keynote Kamal-Chaoui

The global recession and continued concern over climate change have called into question the ability of the current model of economic growth to foster long-term prosperity. Green growth has emerged as a new paradigm that promotes economic development while reducing greenhouse emissions and pollution, minimising waste and inefficient use of natural resources, and maintaining biodiversity. Green growth implies increases in public and private investments and consumption that lead to sustainable resource use, lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced vulnerability to climate change. Green growth also recognizes that environmental policies that do not also support economic growth and wealth generation are not sustainable in the long term. OECD countries have recognized the importance of this new paradigm by adopting a Declaration on Green Growth, which was agreed to by Ministers of Economy, Finance, Trade and Foreign Affairs from 34 countries in June 2009. “Urban-based” green growth policy can provide powerful answers for today’s economic crisis, but can also contribute to long-term national competitiveness objectives. Urban growth impacts both environmental quality and national competitiveness. Cities are the drivers of national GDP and main centres of innovation due to specialization in higher value added activities. But they also consume 60-80% of energy worldwide and therefore are responsible for a large share of greenhouse gas emissions. In this respect, urban form matters: the lower the urban density, the higher the energy demand for electricity and transport. In OECD countries, many cities and regions are already promoting green growth through an arsenal of innovative policies. These include tools to green public utilities and purchases; to assist local industries in improving eco-efficiency; to train local workers with the particular skills required to meet the demand of green jobs; and to support research and the development of green-tech clusters that can become drivers of urban green growth over the long term. But green growth is not just for advanced countries. Many of the principles and instruments underlying current urban green growth strategies in OECD countries are relevant for cities in developing countries and represent a new form of sustainable development policies that could better reconcile the economic and environmental goals.

Stuark Clarkson, Divisional Managing Director of the Industry Solutions business division of Siemens Limited, South Africa
Title of speech: “Managing Cities Work – Sustainable Urban Infrastructure”

Powerpoint Presentation as pdf: Keynote Clarkson

Siemens is cognizant of an increasing focus among Mayors, City Councillors and City Managers across the world – how to make cities more competitive, more cost-efficient and greener. The impact of climate change, urbanization and demographic change is especially significant since it carries implications for mobility, security, resource availability and infrastructure development. With rapid urbanization across Africa over the past century we already observe how mega-cities are thriving in countries like Nigeria. Siemens has conducted research into such trends over a number of years and has successfully emerged as Africa’s green pioneer and partner for sustainable development. We already drive various initiatives at better resource management, energy efficiency and an overall improvement in the lives of Africa’s people, but this is only the beginning.

Introductions to the Workshops