Implementation of the New Urban Agenda and identification of SDGs in Quito one year after Habitat III

A year from Habitat III, the Municipality of Quito will present important advances in the implementation of the NUA and the localization of SDGs,in examples such as: the adoption of the City's Resilience Strategy prepared with the Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities Program; the Metropolitan Disaster Risk Management Plan prepared with the support of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR); the reform of the Plan of Development and Territorial Organization of the Metropolitan District of Quito (PMDOT) in accordance with the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development with the support of the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP); and the presentation of the 2040 Vision of Quito linked to the fulfillment of the SDGs. The plans and programs mentioned include the participation of multiple national and international actors, the establishment of intersectoral alliances, and the construction of bridges and dialogues in the advancement of SDGs. The above demonstrate the city’s commitment to concrete actions that contribute to the sustainable urban development of the region as a benchmark in Latin America. The city has influenced public opinion on the importance of advancing the SDGs in local governments, has generated multilevel work with the national and provincial governments and has taken concrete actions to raise awareness of the SDGs with international and multilateral organizations. To reform the PMDOT, the Municipality of Quito has aligned the 2040 Vision, the resilience strategy and the city's risk and disaster plan with the SDGs and the NUA. Additionally, the city has planned the execution of a pilot project called Clean Historic Centers by 2020, which promotes the use of electric buses in the historic city center to lower carbon emissions. Taking into account that public transportation is the sector that emits the highest percentage (56%) of CO2 in the city (2'902,402 tons CO2e per year), its operation affects urban environmental conditions and the health of people in Quito. Mayor Mauricio Rodas is leading a campaign with other mayors to encourage the financing of projects that generate zero emissions and the establishment of mobility measures in the emblematic historic centers of Latin America to leave a legacy of sustainability and resilience for future generations. The objective of this project is to lead a regional movement for the establishment of clean historic centers and establish concrete measurement mechanisms for cities as direct implementers of the Paris Agreement. The idea is to establish a system in which the role of cities is an integral part of the fulfillment of international agendas.