Brazil’s Lula calls for climate action across the globe!
Rio de Janeiro, Nov 17 (EFE).-
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro that climate action should be the base for urban transformation of cities around the world and called for international funding in this regard.
Lula called for supporting climate action prioritizing cities at the closing ceremony of the Urban Summit (U20), an event held within the framework of the G20 activities, whose Leaders Summit will take place over the next two days in the Brazilian city.
In his speech, the Brazilian president recalled that cities are responsible for 70 percent of polluting gas emissions and 75 percent of global energy consumption.
He underlined that climate action could serve as a tool for a broader urban agenda of inclusion and social justice.
In this regard, Lula called for the efforts of municipal governments to be financially supported by multilateral funds in an equitable way, because only “a small part” of such contributions reaches developing countries and “an even smaller portion” remains for cities.
Organized by the local authorities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, U20 highlighted the importance of cities in addressing global challenges such as climate change, poverty and social inclusion.
During the four days of the event, issues related to energy transition, urban resilience and initiatives to improve the quality of life in cities and address the climate crisis were discussed.
Among the participants were the mayors of Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Helsinki, Phoenix, Montreal, Freetown, Johannesburg, Medellin and Montevideo, as well as the municipal authorities of London, New York, Buenos Aires and Singapore, among others.
Launched in 2017 under the leadership of the mayors of Buenos Aires and Paris, Urban Summit aims to bring together mayors of the world’s major cities to discuss and share ideas on issues related to urbanization, sustainable development, climate change and pollution. EFE
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