Weekly 944

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944

19 December 2022 to 3 January 2023

In Focus
UN report warns Europe and North America on course for sustained damage from air pollution to health, ecosystems, food production and climate in absence of strengthened measures

A new report on the effectiveness of international cooperation on cleaner air in the framework of the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention) shows that while emission reductions have been achieved, countries in the Pan-European region and North America are set to suffer long-term damage from air pollution to human health, ecosystems and crop yields, also exacerbating climate change. To avoid this, the report calls for further targeted emission reduction measures across sectors including agriculture, energy, transport and shipping, and wide-ranging societal changes in areas such as diet and heating. 

Transport
UNECE to host the “Transport Data Commons” - a global open database on the transport sector’s CO2 emissions

With current policies in place, the transport sector’s CO2 emissions will grow almost 20% by 2050 according to the International Transport Forum Transport Outlook, and even more in developing countries. Many stakeholders working to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport need, use and collect such data but they are not available in a commonly known and accessible place. UNECE was chosen to host a prototype database to be developed by May 2023, under the umbrella of its For Future Inland Transport System (ForFITS), a model meant to foster sustainable transport policies.

Trade/Public-Private Partnerships
Sustainable PPPs and infrastructure finance play important role in the 2030 Agenda

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) lenders and debt-providers continue to debate whether there are enough bankable projects to invest in. Yet in the UNECE region, there are 30 ready-to-finance climate projects in 12 countries worth USD 20 billion. Assisting its member states to ensure sustainability and bankability of PPP and infrastructure projects is at the core of UNECE’s PPP programme in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova called on investors to seize the opportunity to invest in the pipeline of climate projects identified to make a meaningful contribution to the 2030 Agenda in the UNECE region.

Ukraine
Mayor of Kharkiv and Norman Foster present the approach for the Kharkiv reconstruction master plan

Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov and Architect Norman Foster have presented details about the new Kharkiv reconstruction master plan approach. It will be based on five pilot projects, chosen in coordination with local residents, and will be developed based on 14 guiding principles discussed with the Kharkiv Group of Architects. Together with the Norman Foster Foundation, the group will prepare a comprehensive summary document of this work and will shared it with the wider public in the coming weeks. The pilot project approach will help inform future urban regulations and prepare local professionals and industries for the city's reconstruction. Each of the pilot projects will be developed in collaboration with specialized international and local stakeholders.

Housing
UN study on short-term rental housing highlights need to balance economic benefits with affordability and other challenges

A UNECE study on the sharing economy and its effects on housing markets shows how the massive emergence of temporary rental accommodation through platforms, such as AirBnB, has changed living habits in cities. It highlights a range of policy and regulatory approaches that can be taken to balance socioeconomic benefits and negative impacts, including on housing affordability. The study surveyed 43 cities in 17 UNECE member countries, namely Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, London, Paris, Oslo, Rome, Stockholm, and Vienna. Spanish and Italian cities constituted almost half of all major destinations included in the study, with 10 cities included from each country.

Podcast
New podcast episode

Textiles and clothing is an $1.3 trillion industry with more than 300 million employees across the value chain. It is an industry with huge environmental and social impacts. Today less than 1% of material used to produce clothing is currently recycled into new clothing. In the new episode, we explore opportunities and challenges to shift to more sustainable and circular approaches in how we produce and consume clothing with model, actor, author and activist Lily Cole, and Katia Vladimirova of the University of Geneva, together with UNECE experts.

Listen here

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