While being mired in the unprecedented predicament created by the pandemic, the world is seeing and feeling the impacts of climate change up close, with more regularity and higher intensity. Science has shown that climate change is making big problems bigger.
It is high time that countries and cities supercharge their effort in fostering innovation, catalyze a just and clean energy transition, and boost sustainable development that ensures safety, high-quality, efficiency, equity, inclusiveness and resilience. Against this important background, the 16th Annual Session of Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS 2021) - one of the most important events focusing on sustainable cities and human settlements - will be taking place from October 27 to 29 as an observance of “World Cities Day”, with the theme being “Accelerate Green Transformation and Innovation towards Healthy, Resilient and Carbon-neutral Cities”.