ICYMI: C40’s highlights from Urban 20 (U20), Rio de Janeiro
A powerful U20 Summit concluded on 17 November, with city leaders from around the world uniting to call for stronger city-government collaboration and meaningful investment in urban climate action ahead of the G20 Summit.
So, what demands do mayors have for national leaders at the G20 Summit and COP29, following this successful event? Keep reading to catch up on the U20 Summit highlights, including President Lula da Silva’s appearance for the U20 communiqué handover and mayors’ bold call for increased urban climate finance.
70+ mayors urge stronger national-local collaboration and bold, people-centred climate action
With cities producing over 75% of emissions and housing two-thirds of the world’s population by 2050, urban leadership was highlighted as essential in tackling the climate crisis.
Leaders at U20 urged G20 nations to recognise cities as key partners in addressing climate breakdown, inequality, and poverty, calling for increased funding, especially for vulnerable communities. C40 polling, released just before the Rio U20, showed Brazilians strongly support climate action, with 95% concerned about the climate crisis and 88% backing their cities in taking the lead on climate action.
Mayor of Freetown and C40 Co-Chair, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, said: “As mayors of some of the greatest cities in the world, we are calling on global leaders gathering at G20 and COP29 to recognise that addressing the climate and inequality crises requires collaborating with us to scale up the ambitious action already happening in our cities.
“With national governments due to submit updated National Climate Plans ahead of COP30 in 2025, they must harness initiatives like CHAMP to integrate cities into the core of these plans to go further, faster, and fairer on climate action.”
C40’s data suggests support for city-led action has never been stronger, as mayors at the U20 Summit showcased their unwavering commitment to driving meaningful change.
Cities call for US$800 billion annually for urban climate action
Mayors and urban leaders called for national governments and development banks to provide at least US$800 billion annually by 2030 to fund urban climate measures.
This investment is vital to scale up city-led climate solutions such as low-emission transport, clean energy, and climate-resilient infrastructure. The funding could support healthier, more sustainable cities while driving global progress toward the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement.
Urban climate finance promises significant economic benefits, with projections showing potential returns of US$23.9 trillion by 2050 through job creation, cleaner energy, and sustainable housing. Mayors stressed that equitable growth must be a priority, calling for 40% of concessional funding to target low-income communities, workers, and vulnerable groups.
Mayor of Paris and C40 Vice Chair, Anne Hidalgo, said: “To truly transform our cities and meet global climate goals, we need national governments and financial institutions to match our ambitions with real investment. Together, we can create cities that aren’t just resilient to climate change, but are vibrant, inclusive places where people thrive.”
Brazil’s President Lula accepts U20 communiqué, pledges to champion cities at G20
As the U20 Summit came to a close, Mayor Eduardo Paes handed over the U20 communiqué to President of Brazil Lula da Silva, who praised cities for their leadership in tackling inequality and the climate crisis and vowed to bring their message of progress and solidarity to the G20 Summit this week.
The communiqué commended Brazil’s G20 presidency for launching global initiatives on hunger, poverty, and climate breakdown and urged stronger collaboration between national governments and cities through frameworks like the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP).
The key asks include working with cities and subnational leaders to develop and deliver national climate plans, endorsing the Coalition for High Ambition Multi-Level Partnerships (CHAMP), to close the urban climate finance gap with at least US$800 billion of public investment annually, and to recognise the key role cities play in delivering the just transition, earmarking 40% of climate funding to support communities and workers most affected by climate breakdown.
President Lula da Silva said: “C40 is committed to tackling the climate crisis and contributing to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees while building healthy, equitable and resilient communities. The voice of the cities needs to be heard and I am confident that the work of this U20 meeting will be very productive.”
‘Breathe Cities Rio’ launched by Mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes
C40 Vice Chair Mayor Eduardo Paes announced the expansion of the Breathe Cities initiative in Rio, committing to expand air quality monitoring, raise public awareness about the health effects of pollution exposure, and reduce pollution from transportation.
Under Mayor Eduardo Paes, Rio is leading in clean, green urban transformation. Through Breathe Cities, with support from Brazil’s national government, Rio is setting a global example in improving air quality and protecting public health.
Mayor Paes said: “Brazil has taken tremendous strides toward delivering climate solutions alongside municipalities and city leaders, which we hope to share as we welcome the world for COP30 next year. With the additional support and expertise of this global initiative, we are well-equipped to make substantial progress in enhancing air quality and reducing carbon emissions in our city.”
Breathe Cities is a global initiative by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Clean Air Fund and C40 Cities that supports 14 cities in tracking air pollution and shaping policy to reduce pollution.
Following U20, G20 national leaders will meet in Rio on 18–19 November. Mayors, C40, and partners hope leaders will engage with their offer to collaborate on global challenges. With COP29 underway, city leaders will take these demands to Baku, championing a global spirit of climate federalism and cooperation.