Summary of O Futuro do Planeta: Resiliência nas cidades | Gabriela Di Giulio - USP Talks #34

00:00:00 - 00:10:00

Gabriela Di Giulio emphasizes the global environmental crisis affects everyone, with urban living and resource consumption contributing significantly to the issue. With over 55% of the world's population living in cities, urban life is responsible for around 70% of global CO2 emissions, exacerbating vulnerabilities to extreme weather events and a lack of basic services caused by climate change. Di Giulio notes that the response to the global environmental crisis remains slow, in part because of societal distractions that divert from the magnitude and urgency of the crisis. She identifies four key reasons for slow action towards climate adaptation and response, including political will, urban planning dynamics, administrative routines, and lack of enforcement. However, she remains optimistic about the involvement of the younger generation in climate action and advocacy.

• 00:00:00 In this section, Gabriela Di Giulio highlights three points related to the global environmental crisis. First, the crisis affects everyone, with direct impacts on issues related to human survival, such as energy, water, food security, and human rights. Secondly, the crisis is directly related to the cities where most of us currently reside, with the patterns of urban living and resource consumption contributing significantly to the issue. Third, despite the wealth of data available on the primary causes and potential solutions for the crisis, and extensive scientific advancements and technological knowledge, the response to the global environmental crisis remains slow. Gabriela suggests that this may be in part due to what she refers to as the "smokescreen" of societal distractions that divert from the magnitude and urgency of the crisis.
• 00:05:00 In this section, Gabriela Di Giulio discusses the importance of cities in the global environmental crisis. With over 55% of the world's population living in cities, urban life is responsible for around 70% of global carbon dioxide emissions. In Brazil, over 85% of the population lives in cities, exacerbating vulnerabilities to extreme weather events and a lack of basic services caused by climate change. The emergence of the climate crisis should not be viewed as a mere problem, but rather as a condition of contemporary society that amplifies existing social inequities, creating an "apartheid climático" that further divides social groups. Despite the science and policies surrounding climate change, political and social conditions may not currently be favorable for implementing adequate solutions.
• 00:10:00 In this section, Gabriela Di Giulio discusses the reasons why actions towards climate adaptation and response have been slow, particularly at the city level. She identifies four main elements: political will and commitment, urban planning dynamics, administrative routines, and lack of enforcement. Di Giulio emphasizes the importance of long-term political commitment and the need to prioritize public interests over private ones in urban planning. She also highlights the challenges of organizing and sharing information between departments and the lack of sufficient enforcement of existing regulations. However, Di Giulio remains optimistic about the younger generation's involvement in climate action and advocacy, calling on them to hold decision-makers accountable.