On 17 October, 2016, the Minister of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, François Bausch, spoke in the plenary session of the Third United Nations conference on housing and sustainable urban development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador.
His speech focused on the link between the Paris agreement on climate change and the new urban agenda of the UN. It is in towns and cities around the world that the objectives of the Paris agreement will be implemented, as more than 66% of the world population will live in urban areas by 2050.
Among the initiatives implemented, mobility is a key factor in reducing traffic jams, air pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases. The minister emphasised the absolute necessity of investing in sustainable mobility and in moves towards zero emissions.
On the other hand, the cities of tomorrow will be multifunctional and compact cities. Unlike metropolitanisation trends in Latin America, Asia and Africa, a network of small and medium towns still exists in Europe with many advantages from an environmental point of view, energy and quality of life of their inhabitants.
Secretary of State for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Camille Gira, chaired a round table meeting together with the Vice President of the Philippines, and under discussion was the topic of ecological cities and their resilience to climate change and natural disasters. The Secretary of State also called for an integrated approach that recognises the links between climate change, biodiversity, resilience against natural hazards and air quality.
Referring to urban governance, he gave weight to the need to build local partnerships through a proactive and participatory approach. This meaams local actors will be educated, empowered and encouraged to actively participate in building resilient and green cities.
Camille Gira also presented the results of the roundtable on 20 October during the official closing of the conference.
