BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. There is a very clear
link between buildings, industry, and the climate, Riccardo
Savigliano, Head of the Energy Systems and Industrial
Decarbonization Division at the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO), said, Trend reports.


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


“The product most consumed by humanity is, of course, water. We
use water for everything—for life, sanitation, and production. The
second most consumed product by humanity on a per capita basis is
concrete. Thus, we cannot separate the development of our societies
from the use of concrete,” he said.


Savillano noted that every month, a city roughly the size of New
York is built somewhere in the world. And this trend will continue
until 2050. Seventy percent of the infrastructure needed to
accommodate the growing urban population has yet to be built.


"And we're not just talking about housing, but also about
infrastructure for manufacturing, for transporting people, for
providing services, for water distribution, water treatment, and so
on. All of this infrastructure will, in one way or another, rely on
the use of cement, concrete, and steel. But the main problem is
that if the cement industry were a country, it would be the
third-largest source of CO2 emissions. This is a huge
challenge—both from an industrial perspective and, as mentioned
earlier, from a development perspective. “That is why at UNIDO,
together with other partners, we are really looking into this
issue. And there is a very clear link between buildings, industry,
and the climate,” he said.


Savigliano noted that buildings and housing lie at the
intersection of industry, social development, and infrastructure.
Therefore, decarbonizing this interplay has become a necessity.







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.