Climate leadership on the global stage
C40 works with mayors around the world to limit global heating to the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement while also delivering a green and just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and creating strong, fair economies that serve everyone. Mayors know that we cannot meet our climate goals without also working towards social and economic justice – it’s not just the right thing to do, it is the only way to prevent climate breakdown and secure the future we want.
C40 brings this message to the global stage with the specific objectives to:
- ensure the COVID-19 recovery is green, just and city-driven;
- build a coalition of 1,000+ cities committed to the principles of the Global Green New Deal;
- raise global climate ambition ahead of the annual UN climate change conference (COP) and beyond;
- achieve changes in policy, regulation and finance that will help cities implement high-impact climate mitigation and resilience actions;
- end all public investments in fossil fuels, including coal.
C40’s city diplomacy work is a central component of one of our core global leadership standards that all C40 mayors must abide by. For cities, this work could take the form of engaging in global processes, signing on to accelerators and communiques, co-signing open letters or attending high-level meetings, all with the aim of positively influencing targeted national, regional and global discussions and decision-making related to climate change, economy and development.
Other city diplomacy-related projects include a C40 EU advocacy strategy and Adaptation Diplomacy, and collaboration with the Mayors Migration Council, Alliances for Climate Action (ACA) and the Coalition for Urban Transitions (CUT).
To contact the team, please email citydiplomacy@c40.org.
Programmes & Initiatives
Created in 2017 under the leadership of Mayor of Buenos Aires Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, the Urban 20 (U20) is a city diplomacy initiative that provides a space for cities to engage in the Group of 20 (G20), enhancing the role of cities as global economic and political leaders.
As formal observers of the COP process, C40 cities use this global platform as an opportunity to showcase their commitments to ambitious climate action and their achievements towards reaching Paris Agreement goals, and to inspire the global community to enhance their ambition and put inclusive climate action and equity at the heart of all decision-making – in line with the Global Green New Deal.
The Climate Politics and Policy Intelligence (CPPI) Unit conducts evidence-based policy analysis; shares learnings with strategic local, national, and global actors; and provides strategic support to help inform city-level climate advocacy.
Our vision for a rapid, equitable recovery from COVID-19 crisis rooted in the principles of a Global Green New Deal to deliver transformative economic, health and emission reduction benefits across the world.
