World Cities Report 2024 - Cities and Climate Action. Moving from Rhetoric to Implementable Action

This UN-Habitat Arena roundtable is a substantive discussion of the key messages emanating from the World Cities Report 2024: Cities and Climate Action.
The World Cities Report 2024 provides a greater understanding of the role that urban areas can play addressing the existential threat posed by climate change. The Report explores how urban areas can be positioned to take effective action towards achieving the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5°C and adapting to the impacts of climate change by building resilience across a wide range of dimensions.
Four key issues underpin the framing of the Report: the urgency of action given the devastating impacts of climate change as witnessed in different parts of the world; the reinvigorated role of urban areas in addressing the climate crisis given their unique characteristics; the implementation of effective and inclusive climate action that cities and communities can take to address the scourge of climate change; and the people-centred nature of climate action.
Climate change is distinctly a global challenge, yet cities are at the forefront of addressing this challenge, both in terms of mitigation, adaptation, reversing its impacts and reducing the vulnerability of at-risk communities and individuals. It is increasingly recognized that cities must be part of the solution to the climate crisis since urbanization offers many opportunities to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies.
The Report emphasizes implementation of effective climate action that cities and human settlements in diverse contexts can realistically take to address climate change. In other words, how can cities drive climate action? The Report identifies persistent bottlenecks to implementation and critically interrogates why the needle on climate action in cities is not moving as it should, given the devastating impacts of climate change.
The World Cities Report 2024 advances a people-centred approach to climate action, ably supported by nature-based solutions. This approach promotes effective and inclusive climate action as a framework for building climate resilience in urban areas. People, especially vulnerable groups, must be at the centre of any meaningful climate action. The World Cities Report 2024 offers clear policy directions to build resilience to climate change across multiple dimensions in urban areas. To prevent climate action from entrenching existing inequalities and vulnerabilities among urban population, the World Cities Report 2024 advocates for a just climate transition.
During this event, urban experts, policymakers, planners, partners and stakeholders will debate and provide greater insights and perspectives on the finding and messages of the World Cities Report 2024: Cities and Climate Action. How can cities, communities and other stakeholders take up these findings and messages translate them into effective action with tangible impacts on the ground?