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At the Ecocity World Summit held in October in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Dr Arab Hoballah, Chief of the Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch in the Division of Technology, Industry and Economics of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), discussed with Fatima de la Cerna of Climate Control Middle East, the progress of sustainable cities worldwide and the role of technology in the Ecocity agenda. He also shared what he believes is the biggest significance of the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21), set to take place in Paris, in end November.

‘ThE bEsT TEchNology is technology built on local innovation’

This year’s Ecocity World Summit may be the first time the event is being held in the Middle East, but it is the 11th edition. Have you been to any of the previous summits? And in your opinion, how has the concept of ecocities developed over the years?Yes, I have been, and I have excellent memories of the one in Nantes (France). If I think of what transpired at the last Ecocity, and even before that, if we go back to 2012, to the Rio +20 Summit, we can see that the whole concept of sustainable cities – others call them ‘ecocities’, ‘smart cities’ or ‘low-carbon cities’ – has been progressing and gaining more interest. No longer just an issue for a few mayors who are concerned, it is being included in national policy framework agendas. And it has been taken to the

highest level in the United Nations, with Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the UN, looking at financing for cities, in the context of climate change.

Furthermore, groups that are working on cities, whether it be UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments), ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives), C40 or the World Resources Institute, have increased capacity of resources and are strengthening their efforts.

It’ll take some time for people to learn how to work together, how to set their priorities and establish effective government systems. But what has definitely evolved over the last three or four years is people’s understanding of what is called the ‘economics of the cities’. Before, a city was perceived as only a place where people can be organised and provided with infrastructure and accommodation. We did not see it as a place where economy was being made, when at the end of the day, cities comprise most of the country. This means that, at the end of the day, the economies of cities make the economies of countries.

For some people, smart cities are sustainable cities and vice versa, but in certain parts of the world, particularly in developing countries, going ‘smart’ is not yet a practical option, with cities lacking access to the latest in technological innovations. How big a role, would you say, does technology play in the development of sustainable cities? There is a misconception regarding this issue, with people tending to put technology at the centre of the concept of ecocities and smart cities. This misconception was started by a few companies who wanted to promote their products by

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showing that integrating technology into the management of cities can make them more efficient and liveable. In some cases it would, but you cannot manage a whole city with just technology.

An ecocity is not all about technology, but it does require tech knowledge. It requires a certain level of technology, but not necessarily top technology, not the kind that you need to import from Germany or Japan. Any city can innovate and promote its own level or kind of technology to better manage its resources and have more efficient infrastructure. Cities can invest in universities and research, or they can look outside for the most appropriate solutions, eventually adapting what they find to their own unique needs and making them their own. Because yes, technology is required, but the best technology is technology built on local innovations.

We’re living in a world that is moving quickly with technology, so we have to make the best out of it. For the Lima-Paris Action Agenda, which is being prepared for COP21, Lima is working closely with Paris to identify the action agenda at the conference, and I can say that technology is certainly on the

agenda – how much, how far and how well we will be using technology – from the most modern and complex to the traditional – and how we can combine them and then use in different cities, so they correspond to different demands and contexts.

Could you elaborate on what you said about combining the modern and the complex with the traditional? And how can doing so help cities become more efficient?In cities, a third of energy is consumed in buildings, which are also responsible for nearly as much fraction of the total CO2 emissions. We can talk about high-tech and passive design and even positive-energy houses, because they’re all possible and accessible to us. But how can we replicate them in social or public housing? Social houses are the majority of the houses built around the world.

If you go to Asia and Latin America, you’ll see all these fantastic buildings – LEED-certified, Gold or Platinum, and so on. But they are but a drop in the ocean. What we need to do is look at the other houses,

This misconception was started by a few companies who wanted to promote their products by showing that integrating technology into the management of cities can make them more effi cient and liveable. In some cases it would, but you cannot manage a whole city with just technology

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see that integrating technology means redesigning the building architecture so that, for example, exposure to the sun will not require the building to consume more energy; so that the shading and framing will result in less energy requirement and better air circulation inside the house.

All of that is technology. There are many solutions that we can adapt to our specific cultures. In fact, let us look at this part of the world. We’ve given a lot to the world, but we remain backward, because we’ve adopted technology that is not appropriate for this region.

Almost 30 years ago, I worked in Sana’a and lived in one of its Yemeni houses. The climate there is hot, similar to the climate here, but there was no air conditioning in the house where I stayed. Yet, despite it being horribly hot outside, it was fresh inside because of the building materials that had been used, and because the way the windows were positioned allowed for daylight to enter but kept the sun from heating the house. That is traditional technology, from which we need to learn.

Of course, now we cannot build big cities using only old technologies. But we can still

learn from them to better understand, for instance, the importance of shading. When you design buildings like the ones we have – all glass – you’re setting the building up to require more energy. What we can do is innovate, push people to innovate, because that is how we can get to solutions. And solutions are everywhere. People just have to take the lead and use what they know, look at what are within their means, and then see what can be brought in from the outside.

In one of the sessions I attended, a member of the audience pointed out that during discussions on ecocities, nobody seems to acknowledge that people, especially in this region, have grown used to certain comforts, with air conditioning being a key example. How can people’s comfort, or perceived comfort levels, be incorporated into the whole concept of sustainable and resource-efficient cities?People have to understand that they need to save energy. This is not about making their lives difficult. This is about them recognising that they are not being responsible citizens

I personally don’t give excessive importance to the agreement per se. It’s symbolic. What is truly important is the changing spirit – the transformative approach

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and that they need to step back, look at themselves and accept that they are going the wrong way, that they need to take some action. The problem is that countries, companies and individuals always place the blame on someone else. They also find someone else to point the finger at, saying, ‘Let the others change first, and then I will.’ Everybody does it.

As for people getting used to certain comforts, well, look at how cities are built today – they make it nearly impossible to go around on foot. If you got to the souks or the old parts of the city, because they’ve reproduced or maintained traditional designs, you can walk around even in 50 degrees C, because there’s no direct sun coming down on you. There are trees and shade around.

Of course, try walking from here to the highway and you might as well commit suicide. The infrastructure as it is, does not allow you to behave efficiently. I don’t see people going around on bicycles here, and it’s not because of the excessive heat. You can still bike during six or seven months of the year. It’s not an unreasonable idea, but where would you want to bike? You’ll

end up being run over like a cockroach, because you won’t know where to go around. On the other hand, half of my staff in Paris comes to office on bikes, because we have bicycles everywhere – at each metro station, at the entrance of schools, at the entrance of supermarkets. You can do everything and go around everywhere in bikes if you want.

The problem with ecocities is that they take time. You don’t build them overnight; you can’t even build them in a generation. They take a long time, but we need to place the foundation and then work progressively, step by step, and develop them in such a way that the next mayors can pick up the work.

And if a mayor is really serious about sustainability, he will lead by example and ensure that his procurement of goods is aligned with sustainability standards and criteria. He will ensure that people, starting with his own staff, can go to office on public transportation. He will ensure that people are eating in building canteens and that there’s no food being wasted, that materials are recyclable, food is organic and less meat is consumed. He will see to it that the paint, the carpet and even the wood used

The problem with ecocities is that they take time. You don’t build them overnight; you can’t even build them in a generation. They take a long time, but we need to place the foundation and then work progressively….

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in his own office do not emit harmful substances. That is what I’m doing in my own office.

We cannot repeatedly tell the world to do something if we don’t lead by example. This is essential. If the mayors and the high-level people do not practice what they are preaching, the ideal will be very difficult to achieve. You cannot impose rules on citizens if you yourself aren’t following them.

Personally, what outcome are you expecting from COP21, especially with regard to the conference’s aim of reaching a legal agreement on emissions? Look, we will have some agreement, but I personally don’t give excessive importance to the agreement per se. It’s symbolic. What is truly important is

the changing spirit – the transformative approach. Thanks to the preparation, from Copenhagen, on to Lima and then now Paris, there has been increasing awareness that we cannot continue business as usual. Of course, we can still see unfortunate cases, like the United States, for example, with its fracking. They’re completely going backward, but generally speaking, things are changing and awareness is increasing.

COP21 has been useful for raising awareness, for sounding the alarm, while also providing solutions. For example, in the COPs, from now on, there will be special focus on thematic issues. There will be a building day, a cities day and an accelerators day. There will be a District Energy day, where every year, government and business leaders will come and look at

solutions, discuss how to work together and how to work on partnerships. All that will help implement the agreement, depending, of course, on what agreement we will get. But even if the agreement will not be as much as we expect or hope, there are plans that will continue. COP21, together with other initiatives, has put the word out into the world. COP21 comes immediately after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, and it is just coming one year before Habitat III. This concentration of elements in about one and a half years, with or without good results in COP21, will leave a legacy and give us something to follow on. Better with a good agreement, of course.