Bonn, 11 May 07

UN-HABITAT this month reaffirmed its position urban planning had become increasingly important in managing climate change because well planned cities provide a better foundation for sustainable development than unplanned cities.

In a representation on her behalf at the Climate Negotiations held in Bonn, Germany, UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka noted that  starting from 2007, some fifty percent of the global population were living in urban areas.

“Urban planning has a direct impact on climate Urban areas are major producers of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and therefore have a significant impact on climate change. UN-HABITAT deals with climate change and urban development, a key element of which is urban planning, as part of its mandate. This is expressed in the Habitat Agenda under the Global Plan of Action: Strategies for Implementation,” she said.

Mrs. Tibaijuka explained that the Agenda, adopted by all member states of the UN states Habitat’s commitment to sustainable energy use and sustainable transport, key issues in climate change mitigation as well as key elements of urban planning. As a result of this mandate, UN-HABITAT must work with Habitat Agenda partners to use urban planning and development as a mitigation measure for climate change.

Climate Negotiations  was plenary meeting, hosted by UNFCCC, in which all UN member states were present.  UN-HABITAT presented its position at a mitigation workshop of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).