Committed to Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements for All
In Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC
New
York Declaration
On Building Low-Carbon Cities In Response To Climate Change
date: April 8, 2011
The objectives of the Global Forum on Human
Settlements (GFHS) are to Build Sustainable Human Settlements, to Promote the
United Nations Habitat Agenda, and to Extend the Work of the United Nations.
Now, by popularizing UN Agenda among the local governments and private sector,
GFHS has provided a high-level platform for them to learn and benefit from one
another, supplied opportunities in which they could work together and strive to
improve the quality of human life.
We the participants from the world over
have assembled at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the sixth
session of the Global Forum on Human Settlements.
We are aware that rainstorms and snowstorms
are abusing the world; strong earthquakes and tsunamis occur more frequently
than ever before; extreme temperatures are becoming unbearable; deserts are
expanding; glaciers are melting… climate change is like the Damocles’ Sword
hanging over our heads. And whereas many of these disasters seem to be natural,
yet in inception a great deal may also be induced and aggravated by human activity.
We are aware that many things have gone
wrong in the pursuit of human progress. It is also likely that many of our
goals that have been achieved at the expense of the natural world. We are the
children of the earth, and we must not do harm to our mother earth, and neither
can we be the grave diggers to our next generations.
We are aware that we must profoundly
rethink our priorities. Our values and cultures are in urgent need of changing.
We are aware that we are one family, and we
share the same fate. Time and tide wait for no man and we must seize every
minute, for there is always a hidden opportunity in each crisis, as it is
believed that weal and woe go side by side. In taking proactive measures to
meet the challenges, we may save ourselves in the nick of time.
Cities now are home to more than 50% of the
world population, and greenhouse gas emissions from cities take up more than
80% of the total emissions from human activities. Cities therefore are pivotal
in managing the challenge of climate change. And building low carbon cities and
developing low carbon economies have become imperatives for the future and well
being of human kind. The world is ready for action.
"Better city, better life" is a
wonderful concept on urban development that the Shanghai World Expo provides to
us and it is a best practice that brings forth hope for a greener future; the
Cancun Conference of Parties (COP16) saves climate negotiations on the verge of
cul-de-sac, and takes us forward to a brighter future; the 2012 Conference on
Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro will review the development
course over the past 20 years, and we hope it will guide us to a green economy
as a main focus. We are now full of expectations.
Therefore, we hereby propose:
In terms of building low-carbon cities,
values are essential.
Development at all costs need not be our
destination and material goods do not provide all we need. The inevitable road
we have to take is the ecological civilization. Chinese ancient sages
highlighted that “man is an integral part of nature”, while Lao Tze encouraged
us to “follow the law of nature”. Be kind to nature, and achieve harmony with
nature. Assume the responsibility, and start now.
In terms of building low-carbon cities,
education must proceed as a first priority.
We must practice a low-carbon lifestyle and
establish low-carbon economies before building low-carbon cities. Education
leads to changes of people’s mind. To achieve this goal, we must train our
children from the earliest childhood; to achieve this goal, we need to take
their little hands to dutifully join with our big hands. We can choose to walk;
we may choose to be vegetarians; we can conserve water and save electricity...
We practice diligence and frugality... We walk our talk and make a little into
a mickle.
In terms of building low-carbon cities,
standards must be unified.
The international community must support
unified standards and methods for measuring and inventorying greenhouse gas
emissions and performance. Greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector
account for one-third of total global emissions. It is an imminent task for us
now also to support development of a common language for global energy saving
and emission reduction.
In building low-carbon cities, we need
guiding policies.
Governments must attach great importance to
the building sector, as it has the most potential for greenhouse gas emission
reductions, and it will undoubtedly provide guidance for cultivating low-carbon
industry and low-carbon consumption. Clean development mechanisms need to be
revised. Carbon credit and carbon finance policy system need to be readdressed.
Carbon emissions of each building, each enterprise, and each person must be
made measurable, tradable and let each thing and every person contribute to
building a low-carbon future.
In terms of building low-carbon cities,
innovation is the key link.
Innovative policies, innovative planning
and designing, innovative science and technology, innovative patterns of
production and consumption are indispensable. Innovation is the locomotive for
the low-carbon revolution, and it will change everything; innovation will make
cities better places in a real sense.
In terms of building low-carbon cities,
leadership is a must.
Low-carbon revolution is a great
opportunity, from governments to enterprises, from institutions to individuals,
foresighted pioneers are needed to take the lead and shoulder social
responsibilities, to set up best practices, to guide the way for the building
sector as well as for the whole society.
Building low-carbon cities in response to
climate change is a fundamental component to achieve a sustainable human
future.
Let us take action together now.
2011 Sixth Global Forum on Human
Settlements
New York, USA