The two-day inaugural Sustainable Cities in Action Forum 2024 has begun at Expo City Dubai. There, city leaders, developers, architects, designers and urban planners, non-governmental organisations, financial institutions, SME networks and international trade delegations have gathered to share innovations and solutions to catalyse positive urban development across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
Running from 5-6 March, the forum will see the different parties explore heat resilience and climate mitigation and adaptation strategies with a view to enabling more prosperous, equitable, low-carbon and climate-resilient cities.
Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority, opened the forum, joined by Her Excellency Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, to reflect on the outcomes of COP28 and the role of cities in catalysing climate action.
The event also introduces Expo City’s new Urban Lab. This is a collaborative initiative that invites innovators and technology pioneers to bring their ideas for sustainable urban living and trial them in a real-world environment.
The event will also feature practical workshops with high-level strategic partners, including the Indian National Institute of Urban Affairs, the Kenya Green Building Council Society and the Advancing Net Zero Volunteering Team, focusing on climate action plans, ESG-compliant supply chains, sustainable procurement and the decarbonisation of communities and the built environment.
Speakers include sustainable city leader and Mayor of Chefchaouen, Mohamed Sefiani; Dr Folayinka Dania, Chief Resilience Officer for Lagos State; Bushra Afreen, Chief Heat Officer, Dhaka North; and James Delaney, Founder and Managing Director, BlockWorks.
The UAE Sustainable Built Environment Blueprint Report – a collaborative project between the Emirates Green Building Council and Expo City Dubai – will also be launched at the forum.