Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp, who is in Dubai, as a speaker at COP28 to promote Melbourne’s efforts across the climate change sector on the global stage, stressed there is so much that cities can do in this sector.

In a LinkedIn post, Sally said that by 2050, cities will be home to more than two-thirds of the world’s population and that's why cities are at the forefront when it comes to adapting to the risks and uncertainties of the 21st century. This can include everything from natural disasters and weather events to pandemics and cyber-attacks.

Melbourne - sixth most resilient city

She said: “We couldn't be prouder for Melbourne to have been named the sixth most resilient city in the world by Economist Impact, ranked in the top 10 with New York, Los Angeles, London, Singapore and Paris. We are also the only Australian city ranked.”

Resilience is defined by Economist Impact as a city’s ability to avoid, withstand and recover from shocks, such as natural disasters. One of the factors assessed was each city’s ability to achieve environmental resilience.

Story of resilience

Sally Capp said: “When I think of enhancing the environment in Melbourne, projects that are making a tangible impact on climate change include our laneway greening initiatives, our transformative Greenline project, and making major redevelopments like the Queen Victoria Market powered entirely by solar energy.”

This is the annual United Nations climate change conference that draws world leaders and global investors together to find solutions for our future. This is the biggest conference in the world, with 70,000 participants.

“This is the first year that city mayors have been invited, highlighting the essential role that cities play in adapting to the impacts of and mitigating climate change. I’ll be promoting our Urban Forest Fund, Retrofit Melbourne, Power Melbourne, Heat Safe City, and our Greenline project,” she said.

“I can’t wait to share what the City of Melbourne is doing, and to learn from other global leaders,” she said.

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