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To meet the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global heating below 1.5˚C, the world’s megacities must act collectively to halve emissions by 2030, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. This was the main conclusion from the Deadline 2020 report, launched in 2016. Since then, C40 cities have embarked on an ambitious programme to develop science-based climate action plans that are aligned with these mitigation goals and will help cities adapt to the impacts of climate change, whilst also delivering wider social, environmental and economic benefits.
 
As the decade of climate action begins, it is critical that cities share their experiences and insights and work together to overcome barriers to action.

In order to achieve the the systemic, long term change needed to respond to the climate emergency, cities need to ensure that climate resilience and carbon neutrality are embedded into every aspect of a city’s operations and administration. In this webinar, three C40 cities, Oslo, Lima and Johannesburg, shared their experiences and discussed some of the key components of good climate governance that has helped them accelerate climate action on the ground.

More on good climate governance for mainstreaming climate action at the local level here.

Learn all about Durban Climate Action Plan 2019; the first Climate Action Plan in Africa aligned with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Launched in September 2020, the plan consists of a set of bold actions and ambitious targets aimed at transitioning Durban to carbon neutrality and climate resilience by 2050. 

This webinar covered Durban's climate change journey and key milestones, the city's plan energy thematic areas, how the city is adapting to climate change, as well as cross-cutting themes, such as governance and financing/funding in the city.

The city of Sydney Community Engagement Strategy was adopted to support the implementation of Sustainable Sydney 2030. In this webinar, Andrea Beattie from the City of Sydney in collaboration with Yvette Andrews and Jen Guide, both managers of the Community Consultation group, will discuss Sydney’s community engagement strategy in the context of developing inclusive climate action. It will focus on Sydney’s strategy to engage their residents, particularly those that traditionally didn’t take part in participatory processes, and how this effort successfully increased connectivity and trust in the government. We will also learn about the projects’ milestones, as well as the key challenges and recommendations which have come out of such a large scale engagement project.

The lessons highlighted in the talk will be used to inspire and open up a discussion about how Sydney’s approach to community engagement for climate actions could be applied in other city contexts, and ultimately allow for a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive decision-making process for city residents.

Climate change, and often the responses to it, are unfair. People who are socially, economically, culturally, politically, institutionally or otherwise marginalised are especially vulnerable to climate change. Moreover, these communities cannot always access the benefits of climate action.

If addressing climate change does not meet the needs of city residents, mayors and governments risk losing permission to act.