In the global fight against climate change, there has been no lack of goals or commitments. But ultimately, people evaluate progress by what they experience in their daily lives. And nowhere is the impact of climate action more tangible than in the world’s cities.
Mayors understand that the same measures that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and strengthen climate resilience also improve people’s daily lives. Energy efficient homes reduce families’ bills. Greater access to renewable energy reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels and vulnerability to increases in oil and gas prices. Better public transportation and safer cycling infrastructure offer people cheaper and healthier ways to get around their communities. Trees and green areas improve air quality, cool neighborhoods, and make cities more pleasant places to live.
But climate action is also about protecting people from the already palpable effects of global warming. Heat waves, floods, droughts and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense. Cities and their inhabitants are increasingly on the front line of these challenges. Therefore, facing climate change requires promoting adaptation along with mitigation.
Around the world, local leaders are adapting schools, hospitals, nursing homes and public spaces to protect citizens from excessive heat and other climate risks. Shading systems, green roofs and natural cooling solutions can significantly improve the resilience of cities to rising temperatures, especially benefiting children, seniors and other vulnerable residents.
The combination of adaptation and energy efficiency measures can save lives, improve well-being and reduce energy costs. These green investments also attract talent, innovation and private investment, turning climate action into an economic opportunity.
Mayors have been putting these principles into practice for years. As a result, GHG emissions have decreased in many of the world’s largest cities, even as their populations have continued to grow. Additionally, cities of all sizes and regions are collaborating to accelerate the progress they have made individually.
Over the past decade, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) has grown into an alliance of more than 14,000 cities and local governments from 150 countries, representing more than one billion people. Many member cities have adopted more ambitious climate goals than those of their national governments and are on track to achieve them more quickly.
However, cities could move faster and go further with greater support. In particular, they urgently need technical assistance and access to financing. Many local authorities still lack the resources necessary to identify, develop and implement climate projects at the scale required.
Partnerships can help meet these needs. The Cities Climate Finance Gap Fund, supported by GCoM and the World Bank, is already helping cities develop projects capable of attracting investment and generating tangible benefits for their inhabitants. In recent years, it has supported more than 1,400 cities to turn climate ambition into concrete action.
Now, GCoM, C40 (a network of the world’s largest cities committed to fighting climate change) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development are expanding that work through a new alliance aimed at helping cities scale up their climate projects through technical and financial assistance. This initiative will mainly focus on regions where the gap between ambition and available resources is greatest.
National governments increasingly recognize the power of cities to drive progress on climate change. While this is promising, it should be just the beginning. Mayors and municipal leaders understand better than anyone that the most successful climate policies are those that people can see and feel in their daily lives: cleaner air, safer streets, lower energy bills, healthier homes, and better protection from extreme weather events.
With the right support, cities can continue to protect people, strengthen their resilience and create the conditions for sustainable growth. And, most importantly, they can play a powerful leadership role in demonstrating to the world that climate action is not a burden, but an opportunity to build a better quality of life and more vibrant communities for all.
Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and former mayor of New York City (2002-2013), is the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions and co-chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. Teresa Ribera is executive vice president of the European Commission for a Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition and co-president of the Global Compact of Mayors for Climate and Energy.
