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Leveraging Climate Finance to Strengthen Urban Resilience: Cities Leading the Change

Thursday, November 14, 2024 | 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (BRT)

Date & Time

Thursday
Nov. 14, 2024
9:30am – 11:00am ET

Location

Armazém da Utopia - Armazém 6, Avenida Rodrigues Alves, 1794 – Praça Mauá, Santo Cristo / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Overview

Agenda

From November 14 to 17, Rio de Janeiro hosted the U20 Rio Summit at Armazém da Utopia in the city’s port area, bringing together mayors and delegations from around the world. As leaders of the Urban 20 (U20) in 2024, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo play a pivotal role in representing cities within the G20, highlighting their importance in the global climate agenda.

On November 14, the Wilson Center Brazil Institute, the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI), and Columbia Global Center Rio hosted the event “Leveraging Climate Finance to Strengthen Urban Resilience: Cities Leading the Change.” The focus was on cities, which bear the brunt of climate change impacts while simultaneously striving to design innovative solutions that can strengthen urban resilience.

Although cities stand on the front lines of climate impacts, much of the debate on climate finance and policy instruments for climate change remains centralized among stakeholders like federal governments, international organizations, and a few highly visible cities, generally leaving aside relevant issues like the challenge of implementation. According to the UN, seven out of ten people now live in urban areas, yet a recent report by UN-Habitat, UNDP, and the UNESCO Chair on Urban Resilience reveals that only 27% of national climate plans (NDCs) focus on cities. With countries expected to update these plans by 2025, there is a critical opportunity to expand urban-focused strategies, ensuring that cities of all scales can participate effectively in achieving climate goals.

Speakers

Image_Feliciano de Sá Guimarães

Feliciano de Sá Guimarães

Academic Director, Brazilian Center of International Relations (CEBRI)
Image_Thomas Trebat

Thomas Trebat

Founding Director, Rio Global Center
Image_Valérie Plante

Valérie Plante

Mayor, Montreal
Image_AdalbertoMaluf

Adalberto Maluf

National Secretary for Urban Environment and Environmental Quality, Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change 
Image_FedericaRanghieri

Federica Ranghieri

Practice Manager for Urban, Resilience and Land Management in Latin America and the Caribbean, World Bank
Image_Rene Silva

Rene Silva

President, Voz das Comunidades Organization
Image_Mark Watts

Mark Watts

Executive Director, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
Image_Maria Dombrov

Maria Dombrov

Senior Staff Associate, Columbia University
gbs

Giulia Branco Spiess

Program Coordinator, Brazil Institute

Moderator

Image_Marina Caetano

Marina Caetano

Institutional Development Manager, Instituto Talanoa

Hosted By

Brazil Institute

The Brazil Institute—the only country-specific policy institution focused on Brazil in Washington—aims to deepen understanding of Brazil’s complex landscape and strengthen relations between Brazilian and U.S. institutions across all sectors.  Our mission is to provide thoughtful leadership and innovative ideas to help democracies evolve and enhance their capacity to deliver results. We achieve this by producing independent research and programs that bridge the gap between scholarship and policy, while serving as a hub for policymakers, scholars, and private sector leaders.   Read more

Thank you for your interest in this event. Please send any feedback or questions to our Events staff.