Cities Are All In

As the world grapples with the implications of U.S. elections, it’s worth remembering what happened last time President Trump was in the Oval Office. On the same day in 2017 that the U.S. federal government withdrew from the Paris Agreement, an alliance of U.S. cities, states and territories announced the United States Climate Alliance, a coalition to continue developing and strengthening climate action plans that cover 60% of U.S. GDP. 

The infrastructure of that effort and other subnational coalitions remains in place today. Indeed, we continue to see a rise in subnational leadership around the globe.

Last week, WRI staff from half a dozen country offices around the world led and attended events at the 12th World Urban Forum in Cairo. We were among a record attendance of more than 25,000 participants, from 182 countries. WUF12 was all about the global housing crisis, adaptation to climate change and raising financing. Cities have the ambition to lead during this era, as the extraordinary week of convening and collaboration showed.

Yet many cities do not have the resources to actually finance the transition to a more sustainable, equitable world. They still depend on either national transfers or sovereign guarantees to tap into international resources. That is the challenge now, as discussions in Baku at COP29 will show too.

As the WUF12 theme says, “It all starts at home.” In a time of disruption, cities can provide the leadership needed to bring real change to communities – but they need support to succeed.

- Rogier van den Berg Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

🌐 Around Our Network

Countries Have Been Overlooking Their Biggest Climate Allies

National climate plans often overlook opportunities for action at the city, state and regional levels. But that's beginning to change as cities rise to a more prominent spot on the global climate agenda. Now, the question is how national governments will redesign their climate strategies under the Paris Agreement, with updates due in 2025, to help cities meet their full potential. Learn more. Read the blog →

Will COP29 Unlock a New Era of Action?

This year’s climate summit will focus on how to deliver more and better climate finance to the communities that need it most. But it is also a key moment for world leaders to signal how they will strengthen their national climate commitments and make good on past pledges. WRI experts take a deep dive into upcoming negotiations to explain what's at stake and what needs to happen in Baku, Azerbaijan, to drive rapid progress in key areas. Learn more →

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WRI India Releases ‘Open E-Bus Blueprint’

To reduce transport emissions, India wants to electrify up to 800,000 buses in the next seven years. WRI India’s new working paper seeks to contextualize the challenges India’s bus systems will confront amid a large-scale digital transition and proposes a novel approach leveraging Digital Public Infrastructure principles to guide bus electrification. Learn more →

A Call to Decarbonize Mexico’s Buildings & Construction Sector

This September, construction sector leaders and experts from WRI México convened to highlight the urgent need to implement a national buildings decarbonization roadmap. This effort aims to not only reduce emissions but improve indoor air quality, reduce energy poverty and create new job opportunities. Learn more →

2024 Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship Awarded for Sustainable Transport & Energy Efficiency Research

Three new researchers have been awarded the prestigious Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship for transformative research proposals that challenge conventional wisdom, covering freight modelling in Lagos, motorcycle taxis in Kampala and financing public transportation in middle-income countries. Learn more →

Accelerating Clean Energy in India

Part of WRI’s All in for a Net Zero Built Environment initiative, WRI’s flagship Accelerating Clean Energy event convened a research roundtable on decarbonizing India’s building sector. Attendees deliberated on key gaps in current research related to reducing carbon across the whole building life cycle in India among other challenges. Learn more →

🎟️ What's Next

• November 20-22: WRI at COP29 →
• November 21: Accelerating Urban Climate Action & NDC Implementation →

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