Sustainable Cities through Environmental Compliance and EnforcementKenneth Markowitz

19 October 2015

Without Compliance, Rules Will Not Work

Population of Latin America living in cities and towns

80% in

2015

90% by

2050

Biggest Environmental Challenges in Latin American Cities

Providing safe water and sanitation

Managing fresh water safely, efficiently, and equitably

Controlling air pollution

Land use change and deforestation account for a fifth (21%) of all greenhouse gas emissions in the region, compared with around 5% for the planet overall (CEPAL)

Region accounts for 12% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions

Lack of institutional management and capacity to implement and enforce them has constrained their effectiveness

Vulnerability to climate change. Adaptation and resilience is critical.

Air Quality

 100 million people in the LAC region are exposed to pollution levels that exceed recommended limits.

Meanwhile, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) estimated that air pollution in urban areas is the cause of at least 35,000 premature deaths annually.

Acute respiratory infections are one of the five leading causes of death in children under the age of five in the Region of the Americas and the Caribbean.

Reduction in public health costs through improved air quality could achieve savings of between 2 and 6 billion dollars a year.

Most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have already established official air quality standards to protect health but more work is needed.

Compact of Mayors on Climate Leadership

+40 LA cities participating

Under the Compact, cities are:

Increasing their visibility as leaders responding to climate change;

Demonstrating their commitment to an ambitious global climate solution, particularly as nations convene around a new climate agreement in Paris in December 2015;

Encouraging direct public and private sector investments in cities by meeting transparent standards that are similar to those followed by national governments;

Building a consistent and robust body of data on the impact of city action; and

Accelerating more ambitious, collaborative, and sustainable local climate action.

2030 Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 11

Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Ensuring access to adequate, safe and affordable housing

Providing access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all

Significantly reducing the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses caused by disasters 

Reducing the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and waste management

Providing universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces

Supporting least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials

Foundations of Sustainability

1. Environmental laws should be clear, even-handed, implementable, and enforceable

2. Environmental information should be collected, assessed, and disclosed to the public.

3. Stakeholders should be afforded an opportunity to participate in environmental decisionmaking.

4. Environmental decisionmakers, both public and private, should be accountable for their decisions.

Foundations of Sustainability

5. Roles and lines of authority for environmental protection should be clear and coordinated

6. Affected stakeholders should have access to environmental dispute resolution mechanisms that are fair and responsive.

7. Public integrity in environmental program delivery is essential to achieving environmental protection.

INECE Technical Assistance Project in Honduras

Technical assistance for capacity building to government entities, the private sector, and civil society in Honduras to promote compliance with environmental laws through improved implementation and enforcement

Training on environmental compliance, implementation and legal aspects of integrated solid waste management

Audience: government authorities at both the central and local level with responsibility for solid waste management and oversight

Topics include: Legally enforceable measures to ensure safe maintenance, record-keeping and reporting for landfill sites, management of open dumps containing municipal solid waste

Incorporates best practices, existing guidelines, and regulations

Replicable training through train-the-trainers

Contact

Ken Markowitz

Managing Director, INECE Secretariat

+1.202.338.1300

kjm@earthpace.com

http://www.inece.org