This session will present the main findings of The Weight of Cities in Latin America and the Caribbean that looks into the consumption in the region. The report builds on the 2018 International Resource Panel global report with a similar title, which emphasized the cumulative benefits from integrated approaches in cities making the global transition to a sustainable future. The regional report provides a nuance to this global analysis by considering the pressing issues of the LAC region such as income inequality, vulnerability and derivative environmental challenges of resource consumption. It was developed jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Resource Panel (for which UNEP is the Secretariat), with the support of German Government through GIZ.

The presentation of results will be followed by reactions of global experts, focusing on how communities and neighbourhoods could address the upward trend of consumption in cities. In this, reference will be made to a recent discussion paper on Creating Circular Neighbourhoods, developed by UNEP together with Arup, BASE, C40 Cities, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and the Mass Design Group and which draws from the experiences of Mexico City and Prague in presenting initial thoughts on circular construction, servitisation, and neighbourhood food systems, ultimately advocating for the inclusion of neighbourhoods in circular economy planning, implementation, and monitoring in cities.

A panel of city practitioners will discuss the findings of both the WoC LAC report and the circular neighbourhoods discussion paper, and its implications in cities in the region