Thursday 10 December 2015

World Council on City Data Statement on Climate Change Mitigation

The World Council on City Data (WCCD) has been closely following the events at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris. Moreover, with a new pledge between major global cities to be delivered to the United Nations Secretary-General, the WCCD wholeheartedly supports this development and underlines the importance of standardized city data in setting goals and targets for the future and in monitoring and measuring progress towards those commitments. As a signatory to the Lima-Paris Action Agenda (LPAA) forthcoming “Paris Action Statement”, the WCCD fully supports city-led climate change mitigation targets.  

As cities represent about 55% of the global population and are responsible for around 75% of carbon emissions, they are strategically positioned to take effective climate action.  City mayors worldwide are setting ambitious objectives and plans for the reduction of emissions, and taking action on multiple fronts under their responsibility. Many seek to achieve 80% reductions in GHGs by 2050 or even achieve net zero emissions. 

To this end, the WCCD supports city-led initiatives that include:

High caliber city level data driving investment in the future of cities  – specifically the use of ISO   37120, the first international standard for sustainable cities

Targeted infrastructure investment to expand public transportation and create low-carbon mobility         solutions 

The scaling of local renewable energy production and improving energy efficiency in buildings

The expansion and innovation of sustainable waste management practices

Plans to encourage smart, compact growth and limit urban sprawl

Coordination and collaboration with the private sector to support innovative, data driven solutions

The WCCD supports the work of cities worldwide in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, by identifying and disseminating data-driven solutions for cities, and global city learning through the exchange of best practices. As a global leader on standardized urban metrics, the WCCD will continue to work with cities around the world – as well as its international network of partners – to promote a future for cities that is sustainable, resilient, efficient and prosperous. 

The ISO 37120 standard not only supports the reporting of comparable GHG emissions data, but also enables data-based bench-marking and best practice sharing between cities in key climate mitigation and adaptation solution areas. These areas include: energy, transportation, water, waste, urban planning and public health.

The WCCD calls upon all cities to begin taking action on climate change, and re-states its commitment to become the preeminent, global body for standardized city data. This data, will be essential in mitigating the effects of climate change and re-shaping the future of cities (and countries) worldwide. 

Wednesday 9 December 2015

Beyond COP 21 -- Nations and Cities Aligning for Climate Action

This week, national leaders from around the world are in Paris for the COP 21 conference to demonstrate commitment to emissions reduction and a renewed, global commitment to sustainability.
However, there is another group that will have a significant impact on emissions targets, a group that should have a more robust voice in the discussions. That group is cities, says WCCD President and CEO Patricia McCarney.

Tuesday 8 December 2015

World Council on City Data and Hatch forge global partnership

TORONTO, Ontario – December 8, 2015 – The World Council on City Data (WCCD), a world leader in standardized city data and metrics and Hatch, a global engineering and consulting firm with expertise in the infrastructure, mining and metals, and energy sectors, yesterday announced a strategic partnership. As urbanization around the world drives new and established cities to find ways to achieve their social and economic goals more productively, understanding how cities can improve is key.

Hatch and the WCCD will jointly promote the critical role that ISO 37120 -certified city data can play in developing new solutions for planning and infrastructure challenges faced by urban communities in the twenty-first century. The two organizations also will build innovative tools to map and analyze urban trends and associated city responses. 

“High quality standardized data is key to understanding the complex and interconnected challenges facing cities. Once understood, it is possible to identify practical and cost-effective solutions,” said Professor Patricia McCarney, President and CEO of the WCCD and Director of the Global Cities Institute at the University of Toronto. “Hatch, as one of the world’s most respected engineering and consulting firms, is a great partner to drive this data-driven solutions agenda for cities around the world.”

"Together, Hatch and WCCD will provide a combination of practical, useful data and expertise on how cities can use this to meet their goals," said Martin Doble, Hatch’s Global Managing Director of Infrastructure. "In an era of increasing urbanization, this partnership will focus on providing better solutions to some of the toughest challenges facing cities, in ways that allow cities and communities to plan for real improvements and economic prosperity.”

As a WCCD lead partner, Hatch will join the WCCD Global City Leaders Advisory Board, chaired by Senator Art Eggleton, former mayor of Toronto. The WCCD is an initiative originally established in Ontario, Canada, and Hatch is a leading Canadian firm with project experience in more than 150 countries. 

Hatch and the WCCD have already started working together on data analytics, opportunities to optimize infrastructure investment, and growing the network of WCCD ISO-certified cities. Cities in Asia, Europe, North America, South Africa, and Australia are initially targeted as locations where comparable data in such areas as transportation, energy, environment, water, waste and emergency response will contribute to improved city planning and decision-making.


About World Council on City Data (http://www.dataforcities.org)
Established in 2014, the WCCD is operationalizing ISO 37120 across cities globally – the first international standard for indicators on city services and quality of life. With 100 indicators, around 17 themes supporting city services and quality of life, ISO 37120 data is accessible through the WCCD Open City Data Portal which allows for cutting-edge visualizations and comparisons. The World Council on City Data Foundation Cities include: Boston, Toronto, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Guadalajara, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Helsinki, London, Rotterdam, Barcelona, Minna, Johannesburg, Amman, Makkah, Dubai, Haiphong, Makati, Shanghai, and Melbourne.


About Hatch (www.hatch.ca)
Hatch is an employee-owned, multidisciplinary professional services firm that delivers a comprehensive array of technical and strategic services, including consulting, information technology, engineering, process development, and project and construction management to the mining, metallurgical, energy, and infrastructure sectors. Hatch has served clients for over six decades with corporate roots extending over 100 years. With over 10,000 people in over 65 offices, the firm has more than $35 billion in projects currently under management.


For more information, please contact:

James Patava
Director of Communications, WCCD
Tel: 416-966-2368
Email: james.patava@globalcities.ca

Nancy White
Director of Marketing, Hatch
Tel: 905-491-7585
Email: nwhite@hatch.ca