Cities as Solutions for Climate Change

This discussion will highlight New York City as an example for cities around the globe and examine the key role cities play in climate change adaptation going into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (Cop15) discussions in Copenhagen later in December 2009.

New York City is demonstrating leadership of international cities in climate change adaptation through the efforts of the New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC) and the New York City Climate Change Adaptation Task Force (Task Force). The NPCC was convened in August 2008 by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation to respond to climate changes in New York City and accomplish the goals outlined in PlaNYC, the City’s comprehensive plan to create a greener, more sustainable city. The NPCC, which consists of climate change and impacts scientists, legal, insurance and risk management experts, serves as the technical advisory body for the Mayor and the New York City Climate Change Adaptation Task Force (Task Force) on issues related to climate change, impacts and adaptation.

The NPCC’s 2009 Report, Climate Change Adaptation in New York City: Building a Risk Management Response, will be published as a volume of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Agenda

The Local Perspective: Climate Change Adaptation in New York City
Rohit Aggarwala, Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability

An International View: Climate Change Adaptation in the Netherlands
Henriette Bersee, Attache for the Netherlands Ministry of Environment

A Global Perspective on Climate Change Adaptation
Jeffrey Sachs, Executive Director, The Earth Institute at Columbia University