Taking city climate leadership to the world stage
Cities need national and international support to deliver inclusive and fair climate action
A green and just transition means climate action delivers for everyone, especially the most marginalised and those most impacted by inequality. Cities are proving that cutting emissions and creating good green jobs aren’t competing goals. They work together. By investing in climate solutions like public transport, building retrofits, and clean energy, cities are reducing pollution while creating jobs, improving health, and tackling inequality.
Across C40 cities, over 21 million green jobs already account for more than 10% of total employment. By 2030, C40 cities are on track to create 50 million good green jobs, which could cut emissions by 50% and lower air pollution by 29%, while creating one-third more jobs than business as usual. This demonstrates what’s possible when climate action puts people first.
To achieve this, cities are already creating jobs in low-carbon sectors. They’re investing in affordable housing, public transport, and green spaces. And they’re working with residents and workers to make sure the transition benefits everyone.
What makes a green and just transition work
Effective approaches to a just transition ensure climate action creates opportunity for all while addressing inequality. Successful cities are focusing on these key actions:
Create good green jobs, not just any jobs
Green jobs must offer fair wages, safe conditions, and stable employment. Cities are already creating new opportunities in sectors like clean construction, renewable energy, and sustainable transport that provide quality, lasting work rather than precarious jobs.
Engage workers and communities in planning
A just transition puts people at the centre of designing and implementing solutions. Cities are working with unions, community organisations, businesses, and residents to understand challenges and ensure policies meet real needs rather than imposing changes from above.
Support workers transitioning from high-carbon industries
As economies move away from fossil fuels, workers in these industries need pathways to new opportunities. Cities are providing retraining programmes, income support, and investment in affected regions to ensure no one is left behind.
Prioritise communities facing the greatest challenges
Climate action must prioritise communities that have faced historic disinvestment and pollution burdens the most. Cities are directing green investments to neighbourhoods with the highest unemployment, worst air quality, and greatest climate risks.
Deliver essential services for all
A just transition means ensuring everyone has access to clean water and energy, affordable housing, reliable public transport, and healthy food. Cities are channelling climate investments into public services that improve quality of life while cutting emissions.
How cities deliver a green and just transition
Different initiatives demonstrate how cities are connecting climate action with job creation, health improvements, and equity.
Good Green Jobs: Track city action on employment
This interactive dashboard showcases how cities are creating good green jobs through direct employment programmes, partnerships with unions and workers, targeted mentorship schemes, and workforce development initiatives.
50 Million Jobs Commitment: Scale green employment
At the 2022 C40 World Mayors Summit in Buenos Aires, cities committed to driving the creation of 50 million good green jobs by 2030. This has the potential to halve emissions and create one-third more jobs than business as usual.
City Stories: See green jobs in action
This video series features workers whose jobs are part of the green transition. These solar engineers in Salvador, construction apprentices in Seattle, and farmers in Quezon City show what good green jobs look like in practice.
Green and Just Recovery: Evidence for investment
Research demonstrates that green recovery investments can cut emissions by 50%, reduce air pollution by 29%, and create 50 million jobs, providing evidence for coordinated climate and economic policy.
Stay updated on inclusive climate action
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Frequently asked questions
How do cities ensure climate policies create jobs rather than eliminate them?
Cities are investing in sectors that generate employment while cutting emissions faster than their national counterparts. Building retrofits, public transport expansion, renewable energy installation, and urban nature projects all require significant labour and skills, and provide significant employment opportunities. C40 analysis shows that green recovery investments could create three times more jobs on average than high-carbon alternatives[1]. Cities are also working with unions to ensure these are good jobs with fair wages and safe conditions.
What happens to workers in fossil fuel industries during the transition?
Just transition means consulting, involving, and supporting these workers so that they can maintain financial security while creating pathways to quality jobs in growing sectors. Cities are partnering with unions and businesses to provide retraining programmes, income support during transitions, and investment in affected regions. Many skills from fossil fuel industries transfer to renewable energy and other green sectors. The goal is to ensure workers have pathways to new opportunities with comparable or better wages and conditions.
How do cities make sure green jobs are accessible to everyone?
C40 cities proactively engage communities, employers, and educational institutions to make green jobs and skills development accessible to underrepresented groups, including youth, women, low-income students, and migrants. Cities assess existing and projected workforce inequalities, using that evidence to advocate for more inclusive employment and skills policies that guarantee fair wages, stable employment, and safe working conditions for everyone.
What is the evidence that green investments actually improve the economy?
C40 research on green and just recovery shows that climate investments can create 50 million jobs by 2030. This represents one-third more employment than business as usual. Over 21 million good green jobs already exist across C40 cities. Green investments deliver economic returns through job creation, reduced health costs from cleaner air, and avoided climate damages.
How do cities balance climate goals with economic concerns?
Cities are demonstrating these aren’t competing priorities. Climate action creates economic opportunity when done right: investments in public transport, building efficiency, and clean energy reduce costs for residents whilst cutting emissions; good green jobs provide stable employment; cleaner air improves health and reduces medical costs. Cities are proving that environmental and economic goals work together rather than compete.
Resources
Programmes and intiatives
A collection of short, accessible explainers that communicate the reality of the climate crisis and C40’s work in key areas.
Animations by Rosanna Wan.
Cities worldwide are proving that climate action is most successful when equity and fairness are at the heart of every decision.
Discover C40’s mission for good, green jobs, driving equitable, sustainable and secure employment opportunities in cities and a future where everyone can thrive.
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