Road to Trillions - Actionable Strategies to Close the Urban Climate Finance Gap

With the demand for urgent climate action growing, the investment required for low-carbon, resilient infrastructure remains insufficient. It’s critical to spotlight the challenges that cities face in accessing climate finance, whilst also spotlighting the innovative solutions being pioneered by diverse actors to support cities in mitigating their emissions and building resilience to the impacts of climate change.

This event, jointly hosted by the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA) the Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) and the German Government (BMZ and BMWK), will present the 2024 State of Cities Climate Finance Report, funded by the German Government (BMZ and BMWK). The report serves as a leading resource on urban climate investment and assesses the current landscape of urban climate finance, identifies investment needs, and offers actionable recommendations to close the financing gap.

Additionally, this event will feature representatives from the Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s (SDSN) Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance. Co-chaired by Mayors Anne Hidalgo and Eduardo Paes, and SDSN President Jeff Sachs, the Commission is pioneering reforms to the Global Financial Architecture (GFA) to enhance urban SDG finance. Key Commission initiatives, including the Green Cities Guarantee Fund and contributions to the IPCC Special Report on Cities, as well as wider solutions supporting cities’ access to climate finance will be discussed in a panel session featuring leading experts from across the landscape of urban climate finance.