Yesterday at Solutions House, leaders challenged the idea that climate solutions are “boring.”
From science to comedy and storytelling, the panel showed how climate action can be fresh, human, and inspiring.
C40 Cities’ Co-Chair and Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, spoke about how cities can make climate action effective, popular, and engaging by prioritising an equitable transition, ensuring solutions protect the most vulnerable, and addressing core concerns like health and affordability.
She also touched on the importance of empowering communities and local governments to lead in decision-making and implement inclusive climate policies, and how empowering youth as climate partners is key.
We’ve successfully engaged hundreds of young people from Freetown and beyond through the C40 Students Reinventing Cities competition. This initiative isn’t just about listening to our young people; we are actively making them co-creators in designing a sustainable and climate-resilient future for our city.
Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr
Clinton Global Initiative
Deputy Mayor of London and C40 Board Member Mete Coban MBE joined Hillary Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, where he spoke about making politics more accessible to young people and increasing their participation in democracy.
The organisation brings together leaders to create solutions for global issues. They focus on climate resilience and help cities implement large-scale energy efficiency projects.
Affordable and sustainable housing
Speaking to Channel 4 News in New York City, Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, rebutted President Trump’s climate denial at the United Nations earlier this week:
The President of America is absolutely wrong about climate change.
Mayor Johnson discussed green jobs, health care, and investing in affordable and sustainable housing for the future of the planet.
“As city leaders, it’s our responsibility to make sure that we’re making our cities affordable and making sure that you see the latest of climate justice.”
“In the city of Chicago, we’re building green social housing, making it affordable and sustainable.”
American and Canadian mayors working together
Shortly after his Channel 4 interview, Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson met with the Mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, at the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.
The coalition of over 170 US and Canadian mayors is working to protect the Great Lakes – a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border.
The organisation works to integrate environmental, economic, and social equity agendas to sustain this vital resource.
World Maritime Day
On World Maritime Day, attention turned to the role of ports in powering the clean energy transition.
Today’s joint event between C40 Cities and Arup highlighted how subnational governments and cities are already proving what’s possible when ambition meets innovation, celebrating the launch of our joint report: ‘Ports as Clean Energy Hubs’, which highlights strategies to decarbonise ports and boost socioeconomic benefits, improving public health and unlocking local economic opportunities.
The ports in California have an indispensable power and influence over the global economy. 40% of all goods entering the United States and 30% of everything that leaves passes through California’s ports. In the world’s largest economy, imagine how much room for impact there is there. We are leaning into the power of ports, and as leaders, we are taking it very seriously. That’s why we thank the C40 team for your leadership. It is shining through.
Toks Omishakin, California’s Secretary of Transportation
Good green jobs
A new report from C40 Cities, the Climate Migration Council, and the Mayors Migration Council revealed the scale of opportunity in the green economy: Green jobs in cities are set to represent almost half of all jobs in construction, transport, and waste management by 2040.
But with up to 6 million roles at risk of going unfilled, action is needed now. The report called for two new key shifts:
- Scaling up skills training for local workers
- Easing barriers to migrant employment in the climate sector to ensure no community is left behind in the transition
Dealing with extreme weather in cities
Earlier today, Mayor of Montréal, Valérie Plante, along with journalist Maeve Campbell, UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme)’s Director for Africa Oumar Sylla, and The Climate Group’s CEO Helen Clarkson, focused on the tangible and real solutions cities are implementing to support their residents both proactively and reactively.
Their discussion highlighted cities’ efforts to address major challenges through practical and effective measures.
We deliver essential city services, but the climate crisis demands more. Unprecedented flash floods – a month’s rain in just two hours – are overwhelming our sewage system. Replacing the entire underground network is costly and slow. Our immediate solution? We’ve implemented ‘sponge infrastructure,’ able to capture the equivalent of four Olympic pools of water, gradually releasing it to protect our city. This action isn’t just about solving flooding; it’s a commitment to our residents, immediately reducing risk while longer term helping with insurance, affordability, and the sustained value of their homes.
Mayor Valérie Plante
Accelerating clean freight
Freight vehicles are increasingly a growing source of air pollution in cities. With freight volumes in New York City alone expected to rise by nearly 70% by 2045, urgent action is needed.
Our new policy guide, ‘Developing an indirect source rule (ISR) for warehouses’, launched today and shares lessons from New York City and equips cities with tools to act, including information to undertake and accelerate the policy development process, and lessons from states and cities already adopting ISRs to accelerate wider uptake.