GCoM Launches Package of New Partnerships and Resources at COP29 to Accelerate Multilevel Climate Action
The launch builds on GCoM’s ongoing work to support mayors and equip governments with the resources and information they need to achieve ambitious climate goals across all levels of government.
Baku, Azerbaijan (November 20, 2024) – Today at COP29, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) alliance launched a package of new partnerships and resources for cities and partners aimed at supporting the outcomes of the COP29 Presidency and third Ministerial Meeting(s) on Urbanization and Climate Change in the areas of climate finance, data, and innovation.
This package also follows the announcement at the Urban20 (U20) Summit in Rio de Janeiro on November 16, where mayors from GCoM and C40 Cities called for at least $800 billion USD in annual public investment from national governments and development finance institutions by 2030.
Updated research published today by the Global Covenant of Mayors and the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) suggests that among the 26 nationally-determined contributions (NDCs) that include urban climate finance components, around $30-43 billion USD are needed to realize action implementation. Leveraging these investments – and quantifying them where they do not exist – are critical in deploying and scaling city-level climate projects around the world, paving the way for healthier, more sustainable, and economically vibrant urban environments.
“Year after year, the Global Covenant of Mayors delivers game-changing partnerships and resources for 13,000+ cities and local governments like mine around the world,” said Mohamed Sefiani, Mayor of Chefchaouen, Morocco & GCoM Regional Ambassador for Africa. “This year at COP29 is no different: the innovations on data and emerging technologies, as well as new research on financing urban efforts within national climate commitments, are exactly what we need to accelerate meaningful action, cultivate climate resilient communities, and follow through on priorities from the third Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change.”
The suite of partnerships and resources are listed below.
The Expert Group convened by GCoM and World Resources Institute (WRI) published a draft for consultation of Integrity Matters: GHG Target Setting Guidance for Cities, States, and Regions. Building on the launch of Integrity Matters for Cities, States, and Regions (IM4CSTARs) at COP28 in Dubai in 2023, this guidance presents high-integrity, fair-share approaches for setting, updating, and stress-testing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets that reflect equity and feasibility considerations whilst aligning with the ambition and principles of the Paris Agreement.
IM4CSTARs reinforced the Integrity Matters recommendations on target setting by recognizing that any commitments claiming to be ‘net zero’ or ‘net zero aligned’, cities, states, and regions must have targets that are “consistent with limiting warming to 1.5oC with no or limited overshoot according to a fair-share approach.” This guidance sets out what this means for subnational governments, connecting climate science and equity with practice and policy.
This document is available for consultation until 28 February 2025 via this online survey. Cities, states, regions, net zero initiatives and alliances, NGOs, and other practitioners in subnational climate action are welcome to share their feedback via the survey. Additional comments may be sent to info@globalcovenantofmayors.org.
GCoM and Open Earth Foundation (OEF) announced a partnership to expand global access to data for cities and local governments, optimize software development for fit-for-purpose tools, and increase the availability of local greenhouse gas emissions inventories globally. OEF is a research and deployment nonprofit focused on harnessing emerging technologies and radical collaboration for a more resilient planet.
Leveraging GCoM’s Data Portal for Cities and OEF’s CityCatalyst, both organizations are activating a shared vision of accelerating climate action by providing cities with integrated, interoperable, and innovative data and tools that can streamline climate decision-making and action prioritization – in line with the principles of the GCoM alliance, established by its Data Technical Working Group.
GCoM and the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) have delivered an update to their findings on the urban climate finance components of NDCs, suggesting that between $30-43 billion USD have been requested to realize action implementation in the 26 countries for whom information is available as of 28 August 2024. These 26 countries – among which 20% are deemed to have “moderate to strong” urban content – represent just 13% of all NDCs globally. Recognizing the lack of finance asks and precise subnational breakdowns of financing needs across NDCs, there is a vital need for:
- A systematic approach to the inclusion of urban contributions to the NDCs and the estimation of requirement investments in urban climate action, and
- Further research and understanding of climate finance needs and opportunities at national and subnational levels.
GCoM, UN-Habitat, and Esri have launched a Global Heat Resilience Partnership to leverage the strength of each organization and scale successes of data driven extreme heat interventions to more cities. Announced at the 2024 Innovate4Cities Conference, the partnership introduced the Keep Cool Heat Resilience Collaborative, an online platform offering open-access resources and lessons learned to support city-driven solutions.The partnership also unveiled a global series of hybrid workshops, Working with Data to Build Heat Resilience, to explore innovative approaches and protect vulnerable communities.
The Urban Transitions Mission (UTM) and Google’s Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE) have launched a new guide to help cities leverage data and insights for evidence-based urban planning. As urban planning undergoes a transformation, data-driven approaches are empowering planners to better understand how people live, work, move, and spend their free time. This integration supports critical decision-making and enables the development of more integrated and holistic urban plans. The guide, Transforming the Future of Urban Planning with Data and Insights, was unveiled during the Urbanisation/Transport/Tourism segment of COP29. It provides cities within the UTM cohort—and globally—with a quick step-by-step resource to design, strengthen, and implement evidence-based urban planning using reliable data, optimizing their efforts to build sustainable and resilient cities.
UTM’s cohort has now reached 103 cities from 44 countries. Based on the targets these cities have set compared to a business-as-usual scenario, the cohort could collectively reduce GHG emissions by more than 500 MtCO2e annually by 2050—roughly equivalent to the carbon footprint of 1.1 million round-trip economy class flights between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Amman, Jordan. The mission is seeking 200 more pioneering cities to join and deliver on their transitions to net-zero by 2030, igniting a global movement that unites cities and innovation leaders to transform lives in communities worldwide.
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About the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM)
GCoM is the largest global alliance for city climate leadership, uniting a global coalition of over 13,000 cities and local governments and 100+ supporting partners. The cities and partners of GCoM share a long-term vision of supporting voluntary action to combat climate change and towards a resilient and low-emission society. GCoM serves cities and local governments by mobilizing and supporting ambitious, measurable, planned climate and energy action in their communities by working with city/regional networks, national governments, and other partners to achieve our vision. The coalition comprises cities across 6 continents and 144 countries, representing over 1 billion people or more than 13 percent of the global population.
To learn more about GCoM, please visit our website, or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
About WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities is World Resources Institute’s program dedicated to shaping a future where cities work better for everyone. Together with partners around the world, we help create resilient, inclusive, low-carbon places that are better for people and the planet. Our network of more than 500 experts working from Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Netherlands, Mexico, Turkey and the United States combine research excellence with on-the-ground impact to make cities around the world better places to live. More information at wri.org/cities.
About UN-Habitat
UN-Habitat is the United Nations entity responsible for sustainable urbanization. It has programmes in over 90 countries that support policymakers and communities to create socially and environmentally sustainable cities and towns. UN-Habitat promotes transformative change in cities through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance, and collaborative action. To know more, visit www.unhabitat.org or follow on X @UNHABITAT.
About the UNESCO Chair on Urban Resilience (SDU.Resilience)
The UNESCO Chair on Urban Resilience (SDU.Resilience) is a research group within the Section of Civil and Architectural Engineering, department of Innovation and Technology, at the University of Southern Denmark. SDU.Resilience develops transdisciplinary research, education and knowledge transfer activities on urban resilience in Denmark and at international level.
SDU.Resilience’s activities focus on urban resilient transition, systemically integrating disaster risk reduction, development and climate change, both mitigation and adaptation, in urban areas. SDU.Resilience’s activities contribute to the implementation of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, the New Urban Agenda, and the Sendai Action Framework for Risk Reduction.
SDU.Resilience aims at developing research to inform policymaking at national and international level and to support science-based urban planning and design for local action, both in the Global North and South.
About the Open Earth Foundation (OEF)
OEF is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that develops open-source digital systems to scale climate action and enhance Earth system resilience. OEF bridges technology, data, and policy sectors, focusing on creating interoperable tools that address global environmental challenges. A key initiative is the CityCatalyst platform, designed to support cities in managing climate data, particularly by streamlining the creation of greenhouse gas inventories (GHGI), CCRAs and climate action plans. OEF focuses on leveraging emerging technologies such as generative AI, machine learning, and satellite data to advance decarbonization efforts.
About the Urban Transitions Mission (UTM)
Launched at COP26 under the framework of Mission Innovation (MI), the Urban Transitions Mission (UTM) is co-led by the European Commission, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, and JPI Urban Europe. UTM mobilise a Global Innovation Alliance of partners, and national governments to support cities to develop, pilot, and scale innovative solutions and approaches for urban transitions. The UTM mobilises a Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) of partners and governments including the government of India, Austria, Spain, Sweden and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support cities to develop, pilot, and scale innovative solutions and approaches for urban transitions. Through the Urban Transitions Mission, cities will strengthen their net-zero visions, scale action, and accelerate implementation. The Mission works with a cohort of over 100 ambitious cities worldwide to demonstrate integrated pathways towards holistic, people-centred urban transitions built around clean energy and innovative net-zero carbon solutions.