BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. Housing lies at the intersection of climate ambitions and everyday reality, Lea Ranalder, the Programme Management Officer for Multilevel Climate Action at UN-Habitat, said, Trend reports.

She made the remark during a session, “Decarbonizing housing and buildings at the City-Industry-Climate Nexus” as part of WUF13.

"We talk a lot about housing as the center of all processes and as a key factor in solving many of the problems cities face. But I would like to emphasize that housing lies at the intersection of climate ambitions and everyday reality. And if we consider the housing crisis and the climate crisis together, it is truly a ‘perfect match’ from which everyone can benefit,” she said.

Ranalder noted that housing is the place where climate risks are felt most acutely, but also the space where solutions can be implemented on the largest scale.

“We have already discussed the need to consider both existing and new buildings, but I would also like to highlight those buildings that still do not meet basic standards. Today, more than one billion people live in informal settlements, and even more in substandard housing. That is why it is important to take this aspect into account when discussing the link between housing and climate in cities, and to think about how our actions can truly serve the communities that need it most," she said.

Today, the fourth day of the WUF13 conference is taking place in Baku.

The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and Azerbaijani flags also took place.

The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit, featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.

The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and sustainable transport.

WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities,” the forum brings together governments, international organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development.