Toward a Partnership for Sustainable Cities Forum Results and Way Forward June 30, 2011

Context A workshop on A Partnership for Sustainable Cities took place in Washington DC, on June 1314, 2011. Seventy representatives of the private sector, international organizations, academic institutions and World Bank staff attended the meeting. The main objective of the workshop was to have an informal meeting with private and public institutions working on city sustainability, discuss the opportunity and benefit of establishing a partnership to share information, and development of tools and case studies with the ultimate goal of helping cities to become more sustainable. An additional goal is to propose a modus operandi in which the newly launched Urban Knowledge Platform could be used to encourage partners and public at large to contribute and share activities and interventions in the urban space, be it in the energy, construction, transport, urban planning, and other sectors. The meeting successfully met its objectives. The participants contributed with presentations and frank discussion of sustainable city issues, pushing forward an emerging agenda of continuous and permanent collaboration. Some key ideas emerged: The clear benefits of a partnership of interested institutions on sustainable cities (including cities) that could exchange create and multiply information, experiences and successful cases. The agreement that the Urban Knowledge Platform recently launched could be a good vehicle for a systematic exchange of information through tools now available, using links and shared space with the partner institutions The urgency and opportunity to consolidate the main indicators used to measure and monitor sustainability at the city level, and the identification of two or three main blocks of indicators The need to identify key steps from now to the Rio+20 meeting in June 2012, where the Partnership for Sustainable Cities and its initiating report could be introduction to the international society.

Next steps: Agree on a method (and need) of governance for the partnership rotating chairs? Semi-annual meetings? Link with the Urban Knowledge Platform? Agree on whether we need a regular output? E.g. annual newsletter with the most successful cases from each institution? Definition of who does what? Distribution of responsibilities Proceed with the draft report (team comprising Dimitri, Chris Kennedy, Jon, Molly, Christa, Dan and Mila - eventual presentation at Rio de Janeiro?).

Areas of Discussion:

Toward a Partnership for Sustainable Cities Forum Results and Way Forward June 30, 2011 Theme Urbanization Knowledge Platform the role of this new initiative Discussion The Forum was presented with a scheme of who the UKP would work with, types of deliverables, and how UKP would contribute to enhanced knowledge and exchanges Several agencies presented their tools and metrics. Extremely rich discussion. Approaching consensus on several layers of indicators Next Steps Define the Sub-Universe of Sustainable Cities Partnerships Governance process Ongoing a access to knowledge and architecture of dissemination -Agree on sub-sets of indexes, from the basic Global Indicator Facility to more complex systems as STARs - Work on linking/referencing indicators to facilitate the understanding of sustainability for city managers, etc. Distill lessons? Find venture capital to adapt energy efficient solutions to developing countries cities (support other basic municipal services as well, e.g. water, waste, transport) Progressively evolving and as a result of continuing exchanges, common programs emerging to take advantage of economies of scale and synergies (and enhance efficiencies). First step: Agree on city metrics and use them in WB projects and analysis, starting with the Urbanization Review. Discuss with OECD how to harmonize, use the different data sets and how to engage in better sharing of city-based info.

Common tools and metrics for measuring city sustainability

Private sector activities for sustainable cities

Excellent presentations and discussions Shared passion to help cities, promote sustainable technologies Excellent presentations and discussion

Role of agencies such as ICLEI, C40, UNEP, Metropolis, Cities Alliance in supporting sustainable cities

Role of organizations like WB, UN, OECD, which are governed by countries, in supporting cities

Discussed partially: WB part of the projects and policy analysis OECD great advance in city analysis and metropolitan data bases UN the great convener and the interlocutor par excellence

Deliverables from Workshop:

Expected Common understanding of what tools and metrics are needed to work toward sustainable cities Achieved Considerable progress. Participants shared approaches, tools and metrics. Growing consensus about layers of indicators and possible areas of coordination Very well done Next Steps -Choose selected number of indicators - Prepare form to post it in UKP - Work towards a mid-term consensus on universe of indicators, governance and sustainability Define ways to keep knowledge sharing in a cost-effective manner, target to deliverables of sustainable cities, energy efficiency and its subsectors Make it work

Map what different actors are doing in promoting the sustainable city agenda, as well as likely future activities Introduction to the Urbanization Knowledge Platform and discussion of how it can help Draft report outline as input to Partnering for Sustainable Cities. The report will outline common understandings, approaches and priorities to advance the sustainable cities agenda including - Defining a sustainable city

Done

Comments were received. Leading group: Dan Hoornweg Dimitris Zenghelis Jonathan Fink Chris Luebkeman Greg Clark, Chris Kennedy

Outline by contributors: July 20 First draft contributions: August 30 First draft report: Sept, 20, 2011 Use report as a work in progress medium to encourage dialogue, discussion and further strengthening of the partnership

Toward a Partnership for Sustainable Cities Forum Results and Way Forward June 30, 2011 - Economics of sustainable cities A common lexicon for sustainable cities Options for specific partnering between now and June 2012 Molly Webb, Christa Anderson Mila Freire Not achieved - Choose 2 key outputs to be disseminated at Rio+ 20 (2012) Work with partners to zero in concrete actions of partnership, e.g. pilot activities in one or two cities; present a partnering proposal at COP17, Durban (Nov 2011).

Interest in the Partnership: Participants agreed that a partnership along the lines discussed would be of interest to them and that they would attend further meetings because of the quality of the partners, the fact that such a network would enable them to acquire more tools, learn more about other organizations, and be an active participant in the rapidly changing dialogue on sustainable cities. On indicators, there was a clear interest in getting more clarity on possible ways to develop synergies across some key systems (e.g. Siemens Green City Index, ICLEI-STAR, GCIF), to reach out to international players and have the private sector expertise and involvement to help build more comprehensive relationships. There was a clear commitment to continue this type of dialogue, to: a. Learn more about the existing initiatives in cities and to get more in depth understanding on how the private sector can support sustainability, b. To agree on specific actions for the group c. To meet peers, explore cooperation opportunities, network, and define common approaches. Meet others working on similar issuesprevent duplication of efforts and share information (increase overall efficiency) d. To report on progress and hold commitments to account; To see concrete progress from an interesting start as the potential to do something transformational is almost palpable but it must be delivered and sustained e. To regularly evaluate progress and specific initiatives that resulted from this event Suggestions for next Forum: Invite city representatives, OECD, main speakers Focus on a shorter list of issues Use strategically to provide input to key activities