CHENGDU, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Officials and experts gathered earlier this week at a conference in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu to discuss how to build resilient and inclusive cities that are fit for the challenging future ahead.

The conference, Re:Think 2022, was hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Management Committee of Chengdu High-tech Industrial Development Zone.

Beate Trankmann, UNDP Resident Representative in China, said the conference was important and timely, as more than half of humanity lives in cities, which also account for most of human energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

"The changes taking place in cities will have a massive impact on sustainable development globally," Trankmann said, adding that cities are the breeding ground for the kind of innovation, forward-thinking policies and solutions that are needed to tackle 21st-century challenges.

Zhang Yi, Deputy Director-General of the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges, underlined the importance of putting people first and providing solutions with systematic logic and frameworks.

"In addition to intelligent infrastructure, accessible public services and refined social governance through technology, we should also improve cities' self-regulation and self-improvement capacities in the face of emergencies and complex environments," Zhang said.

Achieving carbon peak, carbon neutrality, and embarking on greener and more sustainable development paths have become priorities for more and more cities in the world.

"Cities are home to most of the world's population and have the largest concentration of socio-economic activities. Therefore, it is critical for them to contribute to reducing pollution and carbon emissions," said Tu Ruihe, head of the UN Environment Programme China Office.

By the end of 2022, more than 130 countries had proposed carbon neutrality targets, covering more than 80 percent of the world's population, GDP and carbon dioxide emissions, said He Kebin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

"Carbon reduction can better cope with severe climate disasters and economic losses caused by conventional environmental problems," said He. "In the era of carbon neutrality, the world economy will gradually shift from relying on energy resources to energy technology. Carbon reduction is also a new driving force for economic development."