About the ICA Fund
There is no climate justice without social justice, and action at the city level is critical to achieving both. The C40 ICA Fund is designed to help cities develop and implement climate projects with equity and inclusion principles at their core.
The ICA Fund builds on the successes of C40’s Global Green New Deal Initiative. It was launched in response to the unmet needs of cities as they navigate interlinking global crises, aiming to benefit cities by:
- Making programmes, policies, and projects stronger, more equitable, and inclusive.
- Enabling cities to unlock broader, long-term buy-in for inclusive climate action.
- Providing a platform to showcase cities leading on inclusive climate action.
Learn about the grantee city projects
The first round of recipients receiving the ICA Fund grants was announced on 28 June 2023 during London Climate Action Week, and cities successfully delivered their projects between 2023 and 2024.
In 2024, C40 launched the second round of the ICA Fund, known as the Inclusive Water Resilience Accelerator Fund (IWRAF). This second round helps cities strengthen their resilience to climate-induced water stress and excess by delivering actions that are just, fair, inclusive, and benefit all residents, especially frontline communities. The grantee cities are carrying out their projects throughout 2025 and 2026.
2024 Inclusive Water Resilience Accelerator Fund
Learn how Dakar is improving access to sustainable and inclusive water and sanitation in public schools
Learn how Freetown is developing safe rainwater harvesting solutions to reduce water scarcity
Learn how Lagos is creating a community-based early warning system to predict, monitor, and respond to flood events
Learn how Quito is strengthening local and city-level systems for safe water management and distribution during emergencies and disaster scenarios
Learn how Rio de Janeiro is creating a community-based early flood warning system to protect low-income, frontline communities
Learn how São Paulo is improving environmental education to help residents become active environmental educators and build water resilience within their communities
2023 ICA FUND GRANT RECIPIENTS
Bogotá has trained women to join the workforce as e-bus drivers, promoting inclusive good, green jobs and strengthening the city’s just and green transition.
Dar es Salaam is enhancing the city’s organic waste management practices through worker engagement, and inclusive planning and implementation.
Los Angeles is taking on the challenge of transitioning from relying on the local fossil fuel industry and oil wells to greener energy sources and jobs, ensuring no one is left behind in the process.
Quezon City developed an interactive storybook to promote environmental education among the next generation in an inclusive and accessible way, and is empowering children and young people with disabilities to be a part of the solution to the climate crisis.
Vancouver is taking action to support the city’s most heat-vulnerable residents during times of extreme heat, helping to alleviate the unequal burden of climate crisis impacts on communities.
Warsaw is tackling energy poverty for low-income residents through its Carbon-neutral and Affordable Retrofits for Everyone in Need (CARE) project.
What is inclusive climate action?
The climate crisis is not only an environmental issue. It is also linked to challenges like poverty and inequality, as low-income and marginalised communities are often more affected by the impacts of climate breakdown.
C40’s Inclusive Climate Action Programme supports mayors in putting equity and inclusion at the heart of climate policies and all other urban decision-making.
This could mean:
- Implementing policies to improve air quality in low-income areas, creating good, green jobs for women and young people
- Increasing access to sustainable low-cost transportation on the peripheries of cities, and so much more
Access the resources below to learn about inclusive city climate action and explore insightful examples from C40 cities.
