WEBINAR - Air Quality, Climate Change and the New Urban Agenda: Taking Action at the City Level (Part 1)

When: Monday, November 7, 2016 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CET
Presenters: Dr. Gary Haq, Stockholm Environment Institute; Maryke van Staden, ICLEI
Moderator: Helena Molin Valdes, Climate and Clean Air Coalition

Cities will have to deliver on the New Urban Agenda adopted at Habitat III. But how can cities make this happen with regard to improving air quality, protecting human health and taking climate action? 

A three-part webinar series aims to address these questions. It will demonstrate:

• The links between air quality and climate change
• Why cities should think globally while acting act locally
• How cities can maximize air,human health and climate co-benefits

This first webinar will introduce the link between urban air quality management and climate change. It will showcase national and city level solutions that can improve urban air quality and reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants across different sectors such as transport and waste. 

Topics

• Urban air pollution and climate change: Acting locally, Thinking Globally (25 mins) by Dr Gary Haq, Stockholm Environment Institute 
• Role of cities in achieving air and climate co-benefits (25 mins) by Ms Maryke van Staden, ICLEI

About the speakers

Dr. Gary Haq 
Senior Research Associate, Stockholm Environment Institute, University of York

Dr Gary Haq has over fifteen years of experience of supporting the development and implementation of air pollution, transport and climate change policy in Africa, Asia and Europe. His work has involved providing the evidence-base to support policy formulation, facilitating the policy process, building capacity, liaising with a wide range of stakeholders, and communicating the result of his work to ensure it has maximum impact. He has a broad range of expertise which include air pollution, transport, climate change, behavioural change and lifestyles, carbon footprinting, environmental assessment, environmental regulation, public engagement, sustainability assessment, science communication, sustainable consumption.

Maryke van Staden
Manager of ICLEI's Low Carbon Cities Program and Director of the Bonn Center for Local Climate Action and Reporting 

An international political analyst with 25 years’ experience, Maryke works on low emission and resilient city development, specializing in climate and sustainable energy since 2000. She leads ICLEI’s policy and technical support for local governments around the globe on low emission development, helping cities of all sizes achieve results such as improved air quality, local job creation, effectively reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Short-Lived Climate Pollutants. She also supports the organization's global climate advocacy at the UNFCCC and other international forums.