World Habitat Day 2021: Accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world
World Habitat Day is celebrated each year on the first Monday of October. This year the holiday is marked on the 4th of October, with the theme: “Accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world”. This year’s theme is part of the same topic as the ones from previous years: shelter and urbanization.
With the establishment of the World Habitat Day the UN aims to promote basic rights to shelter and housing of all human beings, and throughout the last years it has focused on urban areas, where most part of the global population lives and where most discriminations, poverty and inequalities occur.
Urban centres are the main origins (more than 70%) of worldwide greenhouse gases. This is why the World Habitat Day is included in the UN’s 2030 Agenda as part of the Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) – Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Having access to adequate housing and shelter is an essential part of Human Rights and environmental response to climate change, which affects nature and humans. The most vulnerable groups such as migrants, refugees and people who suffer any type of discrimination and marginalization.
History of World Habitat Day
The international day originated in 1985 as part of the UNGA (United Nations General Assembly). The first World Habitat Day was celebrated one year later, in Nairobi, capital city of Kenya in 1986, with the subject : “Shelter is my right”.
In 1989 the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UNCHS) created, in addition to the international holiday, the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award in 1989, which has approved 192 programmes in total.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme has the aim of encouraging people, organizations, governments and countries to work towards development of human life quality in the field of housing, settlements and shelter by granting awards to people, public and private organizations, projects and communities.
Winners of the 2021 UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour
This year, in 2021, the UNGA has granted 5 honour prizes to thank their response to the Covid-19 crisis and for their work towards a carbon free world, especially in urban areas:
- New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA), Egypt
For its role in providing safe, affordable social housing projects in Egypt
NUCA is a governmental sustainable housing project created as part of the 30 World and Egyptian Sustainable Development Goals that has constructed 660.000 areas for education, health services and green spaces for Egyptian residents.
2. Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), Kenya
or being a leading example of a community-led change to eradicate extreme poverty in Kenya’s urban slums.
Focused on health and gender violence SHOFCO has helped more than 2.4 million people in 2020.
3. Baoji City, China
For its innovative housing provision project benefiting low and middle-income residents in Baoji City.
The project has helped more than 253,000 low and middle-income residents granting them with adequate and green and low carbon housing.
4. Let’s do it World (LDIW), Estonia
For organizing three World Cleanup Days (WCD) to tackle the global waste crisis and reduce carbon emissions.
The LDIW has created a global network in 164 countries to analyze the world waste crisis and carbon emissions, in order to create a map of awareness and climate action.
5. Ciudad Emergente (CEM), Chile
For its innovative approach on piloting a Shared Streets concept (Calles Compartidas) for low carbon cities.This urban design lab is developing new architectural designs of cities that are not car-centered anymore, but rather focus on people and the environment, taking into account the amount of air pollution, carbon emissions and public safety. Find out more on their website: https://ciudademergente.org/
