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Building the cities of tomorrow, today: mitigating risks and unlocking opportunities for sustainable development
More than half of the world’s population now live in cities, and the figure is expected to exceed two-thirds by 2050. As people move to urban areas for better jobs and lifestyles, demand for affordable housing, transport, health-care services and education increases. Cities that are unprepared risk rising urban poverty and inequality and existing infrastructure being overwhelmed. Increased air pollution and the worsening impacts of climate change make the need for decisive policies for sustainable cities even more urgent.
Examining problems and solutions from different places will help city officials make better investment decisions. Collaboration at local, national and international levels will encourage evidence-based learning and innovative governance models. Working on nature-based solutions and circular-economy strategies with local communities helps municipal officials to deliver on climate action.
Join Economist Impact for “Building the cities of tomorrow, today: mitigating risks and unlocking opportunities for sustainable development”, sponsored by UN Habitat and taking place alongside COP28.
Panelists will discuss the challenges of rapid urban growth and how to build green, resilient and inclusive cities. Bringing together leaders from government, academia, the private sector and local communities, the event will explore a collaborative approach to mitigate risks and unlock opportunities of sustainable urban development to achieve socioeconomic growth.
Key topics include:
- How is urbanisation changing communities, cities and regions?
- How can urbanisation be leveraged and managed to provide benefits for all people?
- How can cities measure and apply metrics to identify priorities for sustainable development and map progress?
- In what ways can city leaders learn from each other?
- How can officials accelerate the contribution of their cities to net-zero targets?
- How can policymakers, multilaterals, and the public and private sectors work together to attract investment to sustainability projects?
Benefits of attending this event
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Exclusive speakers
Hear from exclusive speakers and benefit from personal, academic, and professional growth.
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Networking opportunities
Network with key decision makers from business, urban development, investors and government.
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Interactive panels and fireside chat
Engage in insightful sessions, discussions, and panels to enable better decisions for business.
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Cutting-edge insights & knowledge exchange
Gain insights, discuss strategies and debate the challenges—and opportunities.
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Meet with businesses
Meet with businesses and unlock opportunities to achieve sustainable urban development
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Personal enrichment and memorable experiences
Indulge in cultural excursions and social gatherings making your trip a memorable one in Dubai
Speakers
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Phillip Cornell
Principal for energy and sustainability, Economist Impact
Phillip Cornell is a principal at Economist Impact, where he leads the global energy and sustainability practice of The Economist‘s consulting business. He is also a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center, specialising in energy economics, foreign policy, and global energy markets. He chairs the Clean Energy Ministerial initiative on energy interconnection, and advises the World Bank and other private and public institutions.
Prior to joining The Economist Group, Phillip held senior advisory and management positions at Saudi Aramco, the International Energy Agency, and NATO. He held research positions at the Naval Postgraduate School (Monterey), the Royal United Services Institute (London), and the Center for International Security and Cooperation (Stanford). He is the author of various published works on international energy security, transition, economics, and governance.
Phillip holds Masters degrees with distinction in International Economics (energy) from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and received his BA cum laude in International Relations from Stanford University.
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View Profile Jeff Marootian
Principal deputy assistant secretary in the office of energy efficiency and renewable energy, US Department of Energy
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Jeff Marootian
Principal deputy assistant secretary in the office of energy efficiency and renewable energy, US Department of Energy
Jeff Marootian is principal deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. He previously served as a senior advisor to energy secretary Jennifer Granholm and as special assistant to the president in the Biden-Harris White House. He was also a member of the Biden-Harris presidential transition team. Before joining the Biden-Harris administration Mr Marootian was director of the District of Columbia Department of Transportation, where he led the adoption of sustainable transport technologies and oversaw critical infrastructure and utility projects. Mr Marootian previously served in the Obama-Biden administration as the assistant secretary for administration and chief sustainability officer at the US Department of Transportation.
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Agbu Kefas
Executive governor, Taraba state, Government of Nigeria
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View Profile Cristina Gomez Garcia-Reyes
Lead, Net-Zero Nature-Positive Cities, World Economic Forum
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Cristina Gomez Garcia-Reyes
Lead, Net-Zero Nature-Positive Cities, World Economic Forum
Cristina Gomez Garcia-Reyes leads the global agenda on Net-Zero Nature-Positive Cities at the World Economic Forum. Before joining the forum she was a principal advisor to the Alexander von Humboldt Institute – the Colombian Institute for Biodiversity. In 2020 she led the global positioning of Colombia’s “BiodiverCities by 2030” initiative in collaboration with the forum. She has previously worked with public, private and non-governmental organisations, leading the establishment of new protected areas for biodiversity in Latin America, implementing tech-enabled strategies to track commodity-driven deforestation, facilitating agreements between indigenous communities and the public and private sectors, and convening national and international forums to discuss the ecological challenges of economic growth.
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Maimunah Mohd Sharif
Executive director, UN Habitat
Maimunah Mohd Sharif is executive director of UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, and a champion of sustainable urbanisation. Her accomplishments include the establishment of a new governance structure for UN-Habitat, with universal membership governed by the UN-Habitat Assembly, and improvements in the financial performance of the organisation. Ms Sharif co-chairs the Secretary-General’s Task Force on the Future of Cities and the Local2030 Coalition. Prior to her appointment at UN-Habitat she served as mayor of the city council of Penang Island, Malaysia. In 2011 she was the first woman to be appointed president of the municipal council of Seberang Perai.
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View Profile Elizabeth Petheo
Principal, international development and humanitarian assistance, Miyamoto International
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Elizabeth Petheo
Principal, international development and humanitarian assistance, Miyamoto International
Elizabeth Petheo is a principal at Miyamoto International, a global engineering firm. Based in Amman, she drives the company’s global strategy and partnerships, and since joining in 2017 has been instrumental in growing Miyamoto’s international development and humanitarian assistance practice areas from 10% of total firm revenue to over 40%. Previously based in Bangkok, Ms Petheo initiated and led the development and implementation of resilience and recovery projects in the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to this she launched and led Miyamoto’s Washington, DC, office. She has held management and leadership positions in the development and disaster-resiliency fields in the private sector, the World Bank and international organisations.
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Anna Reynolds
Councillor, lord mayor, The City of Hobart - Australia
Anna Reynolds was elected lord mayor of Hobart in 2018. First elected as an alderman to the City of Hobart in 2014, she was chairperson of the Parks and Recreation Committee during her first term. Ms Reynolds began her career establishing a community legal centre in North Queensland. Her previous roles include managing the Australian Conservation Foundation’s parliament liaison office, deputy director of WWF International’s global climate change programme, and CEO of the Multicultural Council of Tasmania. As lord mayor she works on issues including affordable housing, climate change, active transport and protecting Hobart’s heritage.
Who should attend?
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Business
CEOs, COOs, CIOs, CFOs, managing directors, other C-suite..
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Government
Ministers, deputy ministers, chief of staff, other senior government officials, director generals and advisors..
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Multilaterals
Multilaterals from private sector, academia, SMEs, and civil societies..
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Press
Researchers and accredited media..
Venue
The Address Dubai Marina, Dubai, UAE-
Sponsored by
View Profile XUN-Habitat is the United Nations entity responsible for sustainable urbanisation. It has programmes in over 90 countries that support policymakers and communities to create socially and environmentally sustainable cities and towns. UN-Habitat promotes transformative change in cities through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance, and collaborative action.
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