Final Speech

The speaker, representing the C40 Cities Group, calls for attention to the climate hazards facing cities. They emphasize the urgency of addressing extreme heat, which is becoming more frequent and intense, causing harm to human health, productivity, and development. Extreme heat is a silent killer, claiming more lives than other natural disasters combined. Urban areas are particularly vulnerable due to the urban heat island effect and the high number of people living in slums. The speaker argues that air conditioning is not a sustainable solution and calls for holistic action plans that prioritize urban cooling and resilience. They highlight the importance of education, early warning systems, and incorporating heat considerations into urban planning. Local initiatives and investments can make a difference, as seen in the example of Freetown. The speaker urges cities to prioritize addressing extreme heat and focus on the most vulnerable members of society. They emphasize the need for co Your Highnesses, Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I'm here today representing the C40 Cities Group, calling for a renewed focus on resilience to the climatic hazards facing cities today. Our cities are expanding, our populations are rising and our climate is changing in ways that threaten the fabric of urban life. For years, devastating projections of the impacts of climate change on urban centres have been presented as hypothetical events for the years 2050 or 2100. But no longer can these impacts be seen as distant threats. The need for resilience and adaptation is imperative today. And let me be clear, this is not a dismissal of longer term climate goals, but I want to implore you to confront a blight already hurting our cities today, the crisis of extreme heat. Extreme heat is a silent and deadly threat. It transcends borders, intensifies inequalities and wrecks havoc on human health, economic productivity and sustainable development. We must take urgent action to plan, prepare and resist this threat. 2024 was the hottest year on record and temperatures in cities across the world exceeded all previous limits. While the rise in global temperatures is often reduced to fractions of degrees, these statistics mask a dangerous reality. Our cities are experiencing more intense, more frequent and longer lasting heatwaves. The hundreds of millions of urban dwellers from Phoenix, New Delhi, from Cairo to Sydney, extreme heat is the new norm for summer months. In 2024 alone, we saw over 120 million people in the USA placed under heat advisory warnings. We saw all schools closed down for weeks in South Sudan. We saw tourist attractions across Europe shut down. We saw blackouts in Mexican cities as energy demands surged. And unless we do something now, things are only going to get worse. Extreme heat is a silent killer. It may lack the dramatic visible destruction of hurricanes, floods or earthquakes, but it is a deadlier force. In fact, between 2010 and 2019, extreme heat claimed 489,000 lives per year, more than floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires combined. In 2022 alone, heat exposure related loss in labour capacity resulted in income losses of almost $1 trillion. And yet, there remains a neglected crisis in urban climate adaptation planning. You might be wondering why is this issue so relevant to urban areas? You may ask, is the solution not simply reducing global emissions? Well, the urban heat island effect creates a unique vulnerability in cities with alarming consequences. The UN estimates that cities are heating up at twice the global average rate. By 2100, many cities may warm by as much as four degrees. We must also acknowledge the threat. Extreme heat poses the UN Habitat's goal of more equitable cities. The more than 1 billion people living in urban slums and informal settlements are the most vulnerable to extreme heat. The World Resources Institute found that Mumbai's slums averaged more than six degrees warmer than neighbouring areas. And a 700% increase in the number of urban poor living in extreme heat conditions is projected by 2050. So let us be unequivocally clear. Dealing with extreme heat is key to tackling urban inequality. Adequate housing for all cannot and will not be achieved without adapting to urban extreme heat. To move forward, we must recognise that we cannot air condition our way out of this crisis in cities. In fact, it is likely only to bring harm to the poorest in society who cannot afford this. Take India, where air conditioning is projected to account for 45% of nationwide peak electricity demand by 2050. Not only will this contribute to heightened emissions, pollution and further warming of urban areas, but it raises the threat of deadly power outages during intense heat waves. The time for change is now. We must seek bold changes to urban policy and planning, promoting holistic action plans which prioritise urban cooling and resilience and acknowledge the severity of the threat we face. Our response must be built on a foundation of preparation. And preparation must begin with planning, education and innovation. The establishment of heat action plans has increased over recent decades, and this must become the norm across the world. Ahmedabad led the way for South Asian cities in 2013 with great success, implementing a plan focused on raising public awareness and implementing an early warning system, which is estimated to help avoid at least 1,100 heat-related deaths annually. Education on the risks of extreme heat is critical. Extreme heat is invisible and can lead to immediate ill health and death. We need urban residents to take early warnings of heat waves as seriously as those living by the sea might take a tsunami warning. Rather than seeing heat waves as something to be pushed through or even looked forward to. We project that 970 cities and 1.6 billion people will experience summer temperatures over 35 degrees by 2050. For these cities, adaptation and the education of citizens on the dangers of extreme heat must be a priority. Furthermore, urban cooling architecture and design must become a key consideration in future developments for at-risk cities. Policymakers must work with city planners to integrate heat considerations and sustainable cooling technologies into land-use planning. Simple architectural measures including the development of more parks, lakes or shaded streets in urban centres can counteract the urban heat island effect. However, such solutions must be led by local initiatives. We must mobilise investments for pragmatic solutions, focused on improving existing infrastructure on a city-by-city basis. An example is Freetown, Sierra Leone, which recently invested in the installation of shade covers and solar lights in three of their largest open-air markets, protecting an estimated 2,300 market workers from extreme heat. Ladies and gentlemen, the threat of extreme heat is grave, but with bold leadership, targeted investments and pragmatic thinking we can achieve urban resilience. As the C40 Cities Network, we call on those 970 cities for whom extreme heat is an immediate danger to address it as a priority. We must move to a holistic approach, starting with a comprehensive education programme and the establishment of early warning systems and emergency response strategies before ensuring extreme heat is a consideration in all future urban planning. The focus must be the most vulnerable members of society. They cannot be left behind. Together, let us reaffirm our commitment to adequate shelter for all in light of climate hazards, led by building resilient cities for all and starting today. The time for action is now.