African Cities and Regions as Solution Exporters: Co-developing an Expanded and Human-Needs-Centred Climate and Innovation Agenda @ RISE Africa

The pace of progress in addressing the climate emergency is too slow. To meet the target of staying below 1.5 °C, global GHG emissions must be reduced by 45%. However, current commitments by countries are estimated to reduce global emissions by only 5% to 10%. Addressing the climate emergency demands an unprecedented scale and speed of systemic change. This must be achieved in a way that fulfils human needs and enables the growing global population to flourish. A challenge of this scale requires thinking outside existing structures and a shift by cities and regions from using reactive, static approaches towards becoming dynamic agenda-setting exporters of human-needs-centred solutions. Urban population growth is most concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, and it is vital that these regions play a significant part in shaping the future of sustainable development. In this session, the panellists will explore the role of African cities and regions in shaping and implementing a human-needs-centred Expanded Climate and Innovation Agenda. In collaboration with the panellists, we will address how African experiences and innovations can best be exported and radically contextualised to inform the global response to the climate emergency and enable equitable human flourishing.