World Cities Summit 2024 to highlight evidence-based approaches to sustainable development
By Si Ying Thian
Summit will put spotlight on innovative evidence-based policies and strategies at the local level which have national and global impact, says Centre for Liveable Cities’ Hugh Lim.
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The World Cities Summit will bring together city leaders and industry experts to share evidence-based approaches to equip cities with solutions to address urban challenges. Image: Canva.
While many cities have made commitments to achieve net-zero carbon by the middle of this century, not all know how to get there, says Singapore’s Centre for Liveable Cities’ (CLC) Executive Director, Hugh Lim.
Speaking to GovInsider, Lim says this assessment was based on his conversations with city leaders at previous biennial World Cities Summits (WCS).
This year’s summit will be held in Singapore from June 2 to 4 at the Suntec City Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Jointly organised by CLC and Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, this year’s event will be the ninth edition, and will see the participation of leaders from government, business, international organisations, and academia from over 250 cities.
Themed Liveable and Sustainable Cities: Rejuvenate, Reinvent, Reimagine, this year’s summit aims to encourage cities to take an active, evidence-based approach to improve citizens’ lives and be innovative when it comes to solving urban challenges, shares Lim.
Knowledge sharing to spotlight evidence-based practices
"The World Cities Summit is not a negotiating forum, where different parties may take many days to arrive at a consensus for action, or sometimes not at all,” Lim emphasises.
Knowledge sharing around proven practices is the first crucial step to driving progress. WCS brings together city leaders and industry experts to share evidence-based approaches to equip cities with solutions to address urban challenges, he adds.
As an example, Lim notes the Mayors Forum at WCS brings together mayors and city leaders to present successful projects and initiatives they have worked on based on discussion themes.
“A key outcome to be achieved here is the sharing by city leaders who have successfully implemented projects and policies in their respective cities,” he explains.
Lim also shares that the best practices from a city, region or geography may not be “common knowledge” to a different part of the world. Hence, a global mix of contributors enables exposure to a diversity of practical solutions, he adds.
This year’s speaker lineup spans multiple regions - including the Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, and Africa.
MoUs with a tangible impact
To translate knowledge sharing into practical solutions for cities, WCS has also become a platform to facilitate the signing of agreements with “tangible impacts in the real world,” Lim says.
Among them is Singapore and Rotterdam’s port authorities’ partnership to set up world’s first green and digital shipping corridor, which was signed in 2022.
As of April 2024, the partnership has seen the successful trial of a port-to-port data exchange, the early implementation of greenhouse gas reporting mechanisms, and increased uptake of zero and near-zero emission fuels.
Other agreements signed during previous summits include World Bank and Singapore Land Authority partnering to promote sustainable development, virtual twins company Dassault Systemes partnering with Indonesia’s district government Padang Pariaman on the latter’s smart city project, and more.
Consolidating global efforts and diverse stakeholders
Since there is no lack of smart city conferences from all around the world, WCS is looking to consolidate these global efforts by connecting with multilateral and international organisations.
Lim shares that CLC has engaged the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), C40 Cities, and Resilient Cities Network to plan and curate this year’s WCS programme.
C40 Cities, a global network of 100 cities to confront the climate crisis, will be convening their regional meeting for member cities on the first day of WCS 2024.
CLC is also partnering with enterprise stakeholders like Enterprise Singapore and real estate company City Development Limited to curate the presentations and exhibitions in the innovation space at WCS 2024.
WCS 2024 will host five tracks, namely Cities for People, Resilient & Regenerative Cities, Smart Cities, Sustainable Financing of Cities and Future Cities.
“The [WCS] Summit presents a slew of cross-sectoral programmes, which are designed to engage at various levels.
“Each session includes a deliberate selection of city leaders, industry experts and urban solutions providers, so that the themes and topics are examined from different perspectives.
“Through these diverse elements, delegates will be able to share and learn innovative approaches to urban challenges, including the road to net zero,” Lim explains.
GovInsider previously reported on the 2022 summit, which focused on how the pandemic presented an opportunity for cities to reinvent themselves using technology while building inclusivity and sustainability.
To find out more about WCS 2024, you can click here.