UN-Habitat chief says COP31 must spotlight cities in climate negotiations

• Urban centers facing rising climate risks, such as higher temperatures, floods and disasters
• ‘Local action is fundamental to addressing climate change,’ Rossbach says

The head of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) said the agency hopes to elevate the role of cities in tackling climate change at COP31, which Türkiye will host later this year.

UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach told Anadolu that urban areas are key to achieving global climate targets, noting that city populations are expected to grow and already account for a large share of emissions and energy consumption.

She said effective action at the city level, combined with technological advances, could help scale up nature-based and climate-focused solutions.

Rossbach also highlighted how cities are increasingly vulnerable to climate change.

“Cities are facing temperatures up to 10 degrees higher than rural areas,” she said. “Many cities, urban areas and metropolises are affected by flooding, fires, landslides. And more and more they are happening with higher frequency and higher intensity and in locations that surprise us.”

She added that climate change is affecting cities in both the Global South and Global North, with those living in informal settlements and areas lacking adequate infrastructure disproportionately impacted.

Rossbach said UN-Habitat is prioritizing the effects of the climate crisis on housing.

“We are looking at housing because the number of people living in risk areas … prone to disasters, sea level rise, is really high,” she said. “Having access to adequate housing is a human right.”

She stressed the importance of planning buildings strategically in terms of location, design and materials, noting that these factors directly affect emissions, biodiversity and natural resources such as water.

​​​​​​​Opportunities at COP31

Rossbach said UN-Habitat aims to use COP31 to push for stronger recognition of cities in global climate policy.

She noted that over the last four summits, UN-Habitat has convened ministerial-level discussions bringing together national governments and local authorities to better integrate urban perspectives into climate strategies.

“We hope to continue this at COP31 because local action is fundamental to addressing climate change,” she said.

Climate finance will be a key issue at the summit, particularly for cities seeking resources to respond to climate challenges, she added, with discussions also expected to highlight best practices in urban climate action.

Rossbach said COP31 will also be important for assessing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which outline countries’ climate targets.

“We have been historically advocating for a stronger urban perspective within the NDCs,” she said.

She said UN-Habitat’s analysis shows the number of national climate plans recognizing the role of cities has doubled in the latest round of submissions.

“More and more member states are realizing that the urban dimension is very important,” she said. “We hope to advance the recognition that cities and regions are central actors for climate action and to see that reflected in the outcomes of COP."

Istanbul office to help coordinate regional work

Rossbach also said UN-Habitat is expanding its presence and has opened a regional office in Türkiye.

“Istanbul will help us to coordinate our work in the region. So this is one critical element, and we’re talking about 14 countries across these regions,” she said.

She added that UN-Habitat has long partnered with Türkiye, including recent cooperation on zero-waste initiatives and the International Day of Zero Waste on March 30.

“We have a strong partnership with the Zero Waste Foundation, and access to basic services, including waste management, is one critically important part of our portfolio,” she said, referring to a Turkish foundation that aims to prevent waste generation.

Rossbach said Türkiye’s capacity for climate-resilient construction and rapid building also presents an opportunity to help address the global housing crisis by sharing expertise and experience.