The third United Nations conference on housing and sustainable urban development (Habitat III) took place in Quito, Ecuador, between 17 and 20 October 2016. The Group, which is committed to the development of the cities of tomorrow, was represented at the conference by Decentralized Solutions for Cities and Territories.

Habitat III: working to implement a “new urban agenda”

The main goal of the third United Nations conference on housing and sustainable urban development was to revitalise worldwide commitment to sustainable urban development by focussing in particular on the implementation of the “new urban agenda”. The purpose of this document is to amplify the results of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in particular goal N°11 to “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. The results of the COP21, which took place last year in Paris, also represent a significant source of inspiration.

The Habitat III conference was the first worldwide meeting since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals. So this event was an opportunity to discuss the challenges raised by urbanisation in the implementation and the achievement of these new goals.

Habitat III also reviewed the progress achieved since the commitments that were made at Habitat II in 1996 in Istanbul, which was a significant milestone for the international municipal movement.

ENGIE: an architect of urban transformation

The implementation of the new urban agenda will demand joint action from all the stakeholders in cities and the regions. Consequently, private players are essential partners that will enable regions to develop, because they are sources of innovation and new technologies. They can provide local authorities with solutions to design, build, operate and maintain infrastructures and services in cities.

ENGIE has been engaging with local government for decades, through long-term actions and partnerships. The Group aims to become the preferred partner of cities and regions facing the new challenges of sustainable urbanisation. ENGIE’s Decentralized Solutions for Cities and Territories division (BtoT) helps local teams to offer the best of ENGIE to their BtoT customers. The division works hand in hand with them in order to meet their most urgent needs, such as reducing CO₂ emissions from traffic congestion, optimising resources, strengthening bonds between citizens and local authorities and protecting the most vulnerable citizens.

Listening to stakeholders, supporting transformations and accelerating innovation are the top priorities of the Group’s adaptation to the new world of energy, and of its strategy to become a leader in the energy revolution.

A look back at ENGIE’s participation in Habitat III

As a key player in sustainable cities and a partner of the UN’s Habitat Agency, the Group took part in numerous conferences and round tables at Habitat III.

The private players met before Habitat III on October 16. Bertrand Bénichou, the Strategy and Partnerships Manager for Cities and Regions at BtoT, addressed this meeting on the theme of resilience, by highlighting the solutions developed by the Group, such as the actions taken by Tractebel to protect the coast under threat in Flanders or the urban regeneration contract between ENGIE UK and the North East Lincolnshire authorities. Bertrand Bénichou took this opportunity to remind everyone that “to develop resilience, we must anticipate, mitigate and regenerate”.

In an interview with the Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments, Frédérique Dufresnoy, Deputy Director of BtoT, declared that “ENGIE is delighted with the adoption of the New Urban Agenda, which places the power of cities and local authorities at the heart of the energy revolution”.

Director of European and International Relations, Denis Simonneau, sat on the panel that addressed Urban Governance and Institutional Development, alongside Merce Conesa, President of the Province of Barcelona, and European Commissioner, Joanna Drake. He pointed out that city and regional authorities are essential stakeholders for ENGIE, at the very heart of its development strategy, and that ENGIE offers the politicians and the citizens in cities and the regions with decision-support instruments, such as the City OS digital scorecards, the Terr’Innov contracts, or the 3D simulation tools developed with Siradel, which the Group recently took over, and tools that facilitate relations between citizens and local authorities (Cit’Eazen).

“The private sector has an essential role to play in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and of the Paris agreement”, stated Denis Simonneau.