Addressing a meeting of Mayors convened by
C40 cities on 16 April 2021, the UN Secretary-General said:
“Cities are also on the frontlines of the climate crisis. More than half a billion urban residents already face rising sea levels and more frequent or severe storms. By mid-century more than 3.3 billion urban residents could be at risk from severe climate impacts. Cities also have an outsize carbon footprint. With just over half the global population, they emit more than 70% of global greenhouse gases. The COVID-19 pandemic is a global catastrophe. But investment in recovery is a generational opportunity to put climate action, clean energy and sustainable development at the heart of cities’ strategies and policies. How we design power generation, transport and buildings in cities – how we design the cities themselves - will be decisive in getting on track to achieve the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. We need a revolution in urban planning and in urban mobility: including better fuel efficiency; zero emission vehicles; and shifts toward walking, cycling, public transport, and shorter commutes. Cities stand to gain most from phasing out coal: clean air; green outdoor spaces; healthier people.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q63Y_4LDjXE

The theme for this year’s World Cities Day is Adapting Cities for Climate Resilience.  Cities are responsible for most of global carbon dioxide emissions as well as covid-19 cases.  200 of the world’s leading health journals released a joint statement pleading with global leaders to cut greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change, which they say is the greatest threat to public health.
New World Health Organization Global Air Quality Guidelines provide clear evidence of the damage air pollution inflicts on human health, at even lower concentrations than previously understood. The guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which also contribute to climate change. Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, alongside climate change.   Ambitious climate action has now become a matter of urgency according to the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Especially since the initial NDC Synthesis report showed that the world is not on track to reach the Nationally Determined Contributions in accordance with the Paris Agreement to address climate change.
With thousands of companies now committed to delivering net zero emissions and the UK set to host the critical COP26 Climate Summit this November, accelerating decarbonization strategies towards a green recovery from the pandemic has become a priority.  My art show series Art in the Time of Corona 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 - Recovery Roses explores the connection between CO2 pollution and the pandemic with the virus depicted in the form of roses, as roses have been cultivated for over 5,000 years all around the world in 40,000 varieties and survive in the cities.

https://urbanoctober.unhabitat.org/event/art-time-corona-1-2-3-4-5-6-recovery-roses