The United Kingdom government has announced the launch of the new Urban Climate Action Programme (UCAP), which will assist cities and regions in developing countries most affected by climate change in accelerating their transition to net-zero emissions.
The program, which is supported by £27.5 million in new UK government funding as part of the UK’s International Climate Finance commitment, will assist cities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in taking action to combat climate change and create a sustainable future by assisting them in becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and preparing low-carbon infrastructure projects
Cities such as Lagos, Nairobi, Kuala Lumpur, and Bogotá will benefit from the program’s assistance in developing low-emission public transportation systems, renewable energy generation, sustainable waste management, new climate-smart building codes, and climate risk planning. To date, over 1,000 cities and regions around the world – representing more than a fifth of the global urban population – have committed to reducing emissions to net-zero by 2050, and Lagos is one of them.
Lagos, which has a growing population and is one of the most vulnerable coastal cities, will receive assistance from UCAP to implement low-carbon, inclusive, and climate-resilient urban development plans.
As a result, at COP26 today, we are urging cities, regions, governments, and businesses to seize the opportunity and set ambitious net-zero targets as we work together as a global community to end our contribution to climate change.”
The world’s urban buildings, which include homes, workplaces, schools, and hospitals, account for roughly 40% of global carbon emissions.
By 2050, 1.6 billion people in cities will be regularly exposed to extremely high temperatures, and over 800 million people in cities around the world will be vulnerable to sea-level rise and coastal flooding.
Accelerating the transition to net-zero emissions for the world’s cities will thus be critical to meeting the goal of limiting global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Lagos has continued to spearhead large-scale action to combat climate change and protect people’s livelihoods.
And I am pleased that the UK’s new program will provide invaluable assistance to the state in achieving sustainable growth, increasing resilience to climate risks, and ensuring a greener future for future generations.”
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UCAP will build on the flagship Climate Leadership in Cities programme, which was funded by the UK and successfully assisted megacities in Latin America and Asia in developing ambitious climate action plans in accordance with the Paris Agreement, including developing pathways to net-zero emissions by 2050 and committing to ambitious interim targets by 2030 to keep 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach.
As the first major economy to pass legislation requiring net-zero emissions by 2050, the United Kingdom is already taking steps to reduce emissions from the built environment.
Because heating for homes and workplaces accounts for nearly a third of all UK carbon emissions, reducing these emissions is critical to reaching the net-zero goal by 2050.
The UK government has set out how it will deploy the low-carbon technology required to decarbonize homes, workplaces, and public spaces in its recent Heat and Buildings and Net Zero Strategies.
The UK government is investing £3.9 billion in the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, Home Upgrade Grant Scheme, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and Heat Network Transformation Programme to address emissions from the wider built environment.
“Net-zero provides a real opportunity as we level up across the UK – delivering new green jobs and skills and boosting local economic growth,” said Eddie Hughes, Minister for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities.
Many municipalities have already taken action, and we will continue to collaborate closely with them to meet our climate change commitments.
We are also taking steps to reduce CO2 emissions from all new homes by at least 75% by 2025 under the Future Homes Standard, and by 31% later this year through an improvement in building standards.”
The transition to net-zero will drive leveling up across the country while assisting communities in moving toward a greener future – creating opportunities for economic growth and creating new green jobs for local residents.
Recognizing the urgency of combating climate change by rapidly reducing carbon dioxide emissions, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu signed the Zero-Emission Vehicles Joint Statement.
“Lagos State considers Net Zero an imperative and is committed to converting public transportation vehicles to electric as well as embracing solar and other clean energy sources,” he said.
The UK Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lagos State Government in September 2021, through its Financial Sector Deepening Africa development Programme and FMDQ, to mobilize green financing through capital markets to support the state government’s initiative to build a sustainable and resilient megacity.
Through our portfolio of programs, the UK is also currently collaborating with the state government to develop a pipeline of green infrastructure projects.
The announcement adds to existing technical assistance to promote safe, affordable, and sustainable mass transportation in Lagos, including our Future Cities Nigeria program.
