Accelerating Urban Climate Action - Operationalizing the Cop27 Surge initiative

The "Accelerating Urban Climate Action - Operationalizing the COP27 SURGe Initiative" event aims to showcase the implementation progress of the SURGe (Sustainable Urban Resilience for the Next Generation) Initiative, launched at COP27. This initiative, developed under the leadership of the COP27 Presidency, UN-Habitat, and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, seeks to bridge local, national, and global efforts to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A key focus of the event is the implementation of UN-Habitat Assembly resolution 2/5, which calls for the operationalization of SURGe as a meaningful institutional arrangement. This resolution highlights the need for UN-Habitat to establish a SURGe Secretariat, support Ministerial Meetings on Urbanization and Climate Change, and foster synergies with other initiatives like CHAMP, RISE UP, and Building Climate Resilience of the Urban Poor. It also emphasizes the creation of a SURGe portal to enhance visibility and stimulate donor contributions.

The event will also discuss the role of SURGe as an implementation vehicle to scale up urban climate action and build local resilience. As such, there will be a discussion of how SURGe links with other ongoing initiatives and pledges, such as CHAMP and the upcoming agenda under COP29, including the MAP declaration and the Baku Urban and Multilevel Continuity Coalition.

Speakers will highlight the progress from the SURGe inception at COP27 to today’s achievements in the SURGe tracks, including the work done on the buildings and housing track in collaboration with the subnationals group under UNEP/Global ABC. It will close with the creation of a new partnership between the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic and UN-Habitat on the operationalization of the SURGe Initiative, which will institutionalize and dedicated to building urban resilience, in particular to scale the current efforts across all five tracks: buildings and housing, urban energy, urban waste and consumption, urban mobility, and urban water.

The event will provide a platform for stakeholders – including policymakers, urban planners, and climate experts – to exchange knowledge, discuss operational challenges, and strategize on advancing urban resilience. By showcasing successful case studies and facilitating collaborative discussions, the event will drive the effective implementation of SURGe and enhance climate action at multiple levels.