Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Building Low-Carbon Cities: A Response to Climate Change
Sixth Global Forum on Human Settlements
New York, 7-8 April, 2011

Climate change is a serious challenge that must be addressed by the humankind as a whole.
Half of the world’s population is now living in cities. Urban population will continue to rise. Therefore, building model low-carbon cities is a necessary and logical next step in responding to this challenge.

Taking into consideration the outcomes of the Shanghai Expo "Better City, Better Life" as well as the UNEP SBCI Roundtables and the COP16 in Mexico, and supported by the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the World Bank, the Global City Indicator Facility, and the Climate Institute, the Sixth Session of the Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS VI 2011) will be held on 7 and 8 April 2011 at the headquarters of the United Nations and the Millennium UN Plaza Hotel in New York.

GFHS VI 2011 will explore the theme of: Building Low-Carbon Cities: a Response to Climate Change.

At this forum, we will share and exchange successful experience of low-carbon city building around the globe; promote United Nations’ standard systems, such as the “International Standard for Determining Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Cities” and the “Sustainable Buildings Index”. The GFHS VI 2011 will bring together participants from national and local governments, enterprises, experts and community-based organizations to enhance innovation and global cooperation, provide the direction of Low-Carbon City, promote the realization of UN Habitat Agenda and the Millennium Development Goals, and usher in a new era of sustainability.

Date: April 7-8, 2011

Location:
Headquarters of the United Nations and Millennium UN Plaza Hotel New York

Organization:
Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS)

Special Supporting Organization:
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Supporting Organizations:
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) (tbc)
The World Bank
Global City Indicators Facility(GCIF)
Friends of the United Nations (FOUN)
China Research Society of Urban Development(CRSUD)
World Association of NGOs (WANGO)
Climate Institute, USA
Association of Habitat programs, Russia

Contents:
1. Reception
2. Opening ceremony, plenary, discussions, round tables, etc.
3. Exhibition: Low-carbon city construction’s Best Practices
4. Declaration of Building Low-carbon City: A Response to Climate Change
5. Global Human Settlements Award Ceremony

Participants:
Government officials, United Nations officials, heads of international organizations, city mayors, experts and scholars, planners, architects, developers, international entrepreneurs, etc.

Main Issues:
Plenary
1. The Role and Responsibility for City in Combating Climate Change
2. The Opportunities and Challenges in Building Low-Carbon City after COP16.
3. Enhance Cooperation to Meet Challenges
4. Enlightenment of the Shanghai World Expo and the COP16
5.International Standard for Determining Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Cities
6. Global City Indicators Facility
7.Low-Carbon Urban Planning
8.Innovation of Policy and Finance

Parallel meeting1: Energy Efficient Buildings
1. Low-Carbon City and Energy Efficient Buildings
2. Sustainable Building Index
3. Common Carbon Metric
4. Best Practices

Parallel meeting 2: Building Low-carbon Cities and Business Responsibility
1. The Role and Responsibility for Business in Combating Climate Change
2. Low-Carbon City and Clean Energy
3. Green Transport
4. Low-Carbon Industry and Green Innovation
5. Best Practices

Parallel meeting 3: Low-carbon education, knowledge sharing and expertise
1.Innovative Educational Methods and Guide the Public to Consciously Participate in Combating Climate Change
2.Government's Role and Function in Low-Carbon Education
3.NGO's Role and Function in Low-Carbon Education
4.Low-Carbon Expertise
5.Best Practices

Invited Guest List of GFHS VI

• International dignitaries
• The Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
• Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, Former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations, Chairman of Global Forum on Human Settlements(GFHS)
• Mr. Wang Yuqing, Deputy Director of Population, Resources and Environment Committee of CPPCC, Deputy Director of China’s SEPA
• Permanent Representative of Some countries to the United Nations
• Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, the chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),Nobel Peace Prize winner
• Michael Bloomberg ,New York City Mayor
• Doug McMillan,President of WalMart International
• Dr. Awni Behnam, Assistant Secretary General, UN Commissioner General, Expo 2010
• Mayors of San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Shanghai, Bangkok, Shenzhen, Seoul, Rio de Janeiro, Copenhagen, Moscow, Freiburg etc.
• Representatives of relevant Ministries from different countries
• Juanita Castano, Representative of the Executive Director, UNEP
• Arab Hoballah,Chief,Sustainable Consumption and Production,UNEP
• Gajanana HEGDE, Representative of Climate Change Secretariat ,UNFCCC
• Dan Hoornweg, Lead Urban Advisor, Cities & Climate Change, World Bank
• Yamina Djacta, Officer-In-Charge New York Office, UN-HABITAT
• Raf Tuts, Chief Urban Environmental Planning Branch, UN-HABITAT
• Professor Patricia L. McCarney, Director of Global City Indicators Facility
• Niclas Svenningsen, the head of the Sustainable United Nations (SUN) programme, UNEP
• Rick Fedrizzi,President, CEO & Co-founder of U.S. Green Building Council
• Noel Brown, President of the Friends of the United Nations
• Taj Hamad,Secretary General of World Association of NGOs (WANGO)
• John C. Topping , President of Climate Institute, USA
• Chen Keshi, Professor of Peking University, Director of Chinese Urban Design Research Center of Peking University
• Craig Perkins,Executive Director of Energy Coalition
• Brad Pitt, Famous Actor, the investor of Mike It Right, the post-disaster reconstruction project in New Orleans
• Leonardo DiCaprio, Famous Actor, Global Green's member
• Representatives of World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
• Representatives of Fortune 500 companies, such as the head of Wal-Mart, Microsoft, UPS, Boeing, Siemens, etc, Investment Fund, well-known Chinese companies, like Vanke, Broad (Changsha), Suntech (Wuxi), China Merchants, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Hope Group (Sichuan), etc
• Authoritative experts of low-carbon city planning and construction, new energy experts, international fund, and investment consortium
  

Web: www.gfhsforum.org/english/Conferences%20and%20Events.htm

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Улучшение Экологии Городов – Ответ Глобальному Изменению Климата
6й Глобальный Форум Населённых Пунктов

Штаб-квартира ООН, Нью Йорк
7-8 Апреля 2011

Глобальный форум населённых пунктов и Программа ООН по окружающей среде (ЮНЕП) при участии Всемирного банка, и других ООНовских правительственных и неправительственных организаций.

На Форум приглашены мэры крупнейших городов мира, сотрудники президентских и правительственных администраций, а также неправительственные и общественные организации и многие известные люди из мира науки, искусства и литературы. Напрмер, Леонардо Ди Каприо, Бред Пит и другие послы доброй воли ООН и «звёзды» – активные участники движения за сохранения экологии нашей планеты.

Во время Форума будет работать выставка, на которой города и оргганизации представят свою информацию по достижениям в области экологии, а также вытавят свои предложения для финансирования проектов по снижению загрязнения. Все проекты затем будут переданы во Всемирный банк и в другие организации ООН для расмотрения возможности ивестиций.

Лучшим участникам будут присвоены почётные титулы и лидеры ООН вручат им соответствующие документы и награды.

На конец 2010 года участие в Форуме подтвердили мэры многих городов США, Китая, Европы.

В России приглашаются мэры городов Москвы, Санкт-Петербурга, Владивостока, Хабаровска и других крупных городов, а также посёлков и поселений активно участсвующих в защите своей экологии от загрязнения.

Организаторы приглашают сформировать делегации городов в сотсаве примерно 5-20 человек для участия в Форуме, выставке и в отдельных мероприятиях, котрые могут быть организаованы для участиков по их заявкам.

Форум сопровождается расширенной культурной и туристической программой.

Для участия в Форуме также приглашаются российские туристические агентсва.
Контакты для русскоязычных участников:
www.bestpracticesmagazine.org
office@bestpracticesmagazine.org
Tel. в США – 1-206-550-3087