Michael Adalla, Senior Programme Officer of UNITAR's Division for Prosperity, underscored the critical role of capacity-building in advancing climate action and the transition towards low-carbon and sustainable cities. Emphasizing that urban transformation cannot be achieved by any single sector, Mr. Adalla highlighted the need for coordinated action across sectors. He also reaffirmed UNITAR’s long-standing commitment to building capacity and supporting policy development across the Global South.

Representing the private sector, the CEO of CHOREN Energy Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd. highlighted the critical role of enterprises in advancing the transition towards green and efficient energy systems. He underscored that private enterprises must serve as “drivers and enablers” of low-carbon development through sustained investment, research and development, and cross-regional collaboration.

Participating virtually, Mr. Zhang Zhi, Member of Shenzhen Longhua District Standing Committee, together with Mr. Dong Haitao, Director of Prosperity Alliance Shenzhen (Greater Bay Area) —a UNITAR-affiliated initiative—shared insights from Shenzhen’s Longhua District as a leading example of smart-city and green urban development.

Mr. Zhang highlighted Longhua’s advancements in digital governance, smart mobility, clean-energy deployment, low-carbon industrial transformation, and the development of innovation-driven green communities. Mr. Dong emphasized cities’ need to develop capacity so they can design, implement, and scale climate and smart-city policies. He affirmed Prosperity Alliance Shenzhen’s commitment to working with UNITAR to enhance knowledge-sharing, deepen multilateral cooperation, and support cities in building more inclusive, resilient, and low-carbon urban futures.

The discussion extended to low-carbon urban practices from China, Brazil, and beyond—spanning renewable energy, smart mobility, and green infrastructure—and reaffirmed the importance of systematic, replicable, and collaborative approaches. 

The side event reaffirmed that advancing low-carbon and sustainable cities requires not only green technologies but also strong local institutional capacity, policy innovation, mutual learning, and skills development.

UNITAR aims to translate these insights into action by scaling targeted capacity-building programmes, enhancing platforms for cross-regional knowledge exchange, and promoting replicable models for green and inclusive urban transformation.