Cities show how climate action is making life better

In the global fight against climate change, there has been no shortage of targets and commitments. But people ultimately judge 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 emissions and strengthen climate resilience also improve people’s daily lives. Energy-efficient homes lower bills for families. Increased access to renewables reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels and vulnerability to spikes in oil and gas prices. Better public transport and safer cycling infrastructure give people more-affordable and healthier ways to move around their communities. Trees and green spaces improve air quality, cool neighborhoods and make cities more pleasant places to live.
But climate action is also about protecting people from the already tangible effects of a warming planet. Heat waves, floods, droughts and extreme-weather events are becoming more frequent and intense. Cities and their residents are increasingly on the front line of these challenges. That is why confronting climate change requires pursuing adaptation alongside 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 enhance the resilience of cities to rising temperatures, with children, older people and other vulnerable residents often benefiting the most.
A combination of adaptation measures and energy efficiency can save lives, improve well-being, and reduce energy costs. These green investments also attract talent, innovation and private investment, positioning climate action as an economic opportunity.
Mayors have been putting these principles into practice for years. As a result, greenhouse-gas emissions have fallen in many of the world’s largest cities, even as their populations have continued to grow. Moreover, cities of all sizes and in a variety of regions are working together to accelerate the progress they have made individually.
Over the past decade, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy has grown into an alliance of more than 14,000 cities and local governments across 150 countries, representing more than 1 billion people. Many member cities have adopted climate goals that are more ambitious than those of their national governments, and are on track to achieve them more quickly.

Confronting climate change requires pursuing adaptation alongside mitigation.

Michael R. Bloomberg and Teresa Ribera

Yet cities could move faster and go further with increased support. Specifically, they have a pressing need for technical expertise and access to finance. Many local authorities still lack the resources required to identify, develop and implement climate projects at the necessary scale.
Partnerships can help address these needs. The City Climate Finance Gap Fund, supported by the Global Covenant of Mayors and the World Bank, is already assisting cities in the development of projects that can attract investment and deliver tangible benefits for their populations. Over the past few years, it has supported more than 1,400 cities in their efforts to turn climate ambition into practical action.
Now, the Global Covenant of Mayors, C40 (a network of the world’s biggest cities committed to addressing climate change) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development are building on that work with a new partnership to help cities scale up climate projects through technical and financial assistance. This initiative will focus largely on regions where the gap between ambition and available resources is widest.
National governments increasingly recognize the power of cities to drive progress on climate change. While promising, this should be only the beginning. Mayors and city leaders understand better than anyone that the most successful climate policies are those that people can see and feel in their everyday lives: cleaner air, safer streets, lower energy bills, healthier homes and better protection against extreme weather.
With the right support, cities can continue to protect people, strengthen resilience and create the conditions for sustainable growth. Most importantly, cities can play a powerful leadership role by showing the world that climate action is not a burden but an opportunity to build better lives and more vibrant communities for all.

• Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies and a former mayor of New York City (2002-13), is the UN secretary-general’s special envoy on 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, Just and Competitive Transition, and co-chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.

©Project Syndicate