Support the Campaign: IPCC Cities and Climate Change Report

UCLG has joined the proposal for the preparation of a Special Report on Cities and Climate Change. Along with ICLEI and C40, the three networks are mobilizing their members and partners to advocate for the Special Report.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the leading international body for the assessment of climate change (IPCC). From April 11-13, the IPCC will meet in Nairobi to decide on its work programme and select from a shortlist of Special Reports on climate change. Among the shortlisted reports is the proposal for a Special Report on Cities and Climate Change, submitted by the South African government.

A Special Report on Cities could build on Chapter 8 of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report from 2014 which was dedicated to Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability in Urban Areas. The proposal for a Special Report devoted to cities represents an enormous opportunity to raise awareness of the role of local governments in the global response to climate change.

The Special Report would be the most comprehensive global resource on cities and climate change, allowing all the disperse research and long-term scientific evidence on urban climate impacts, challenges and solutions to be bought together in a single document for a global audience.

Why local and regional governments are key players

Local governments have been constantly involved in climate change negotiations and city networks have raised awareness on the impact of climate change on cities and their inhabitants. 

Following the recognition of cities and other Non-Party stakeholders by the Paris Agreement, the proposed Special Report represents an enormous opportunity to raise awareness of the impact of climate change in cities and of the role of local governments in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The international community has a huge opportunity to strengthen COP21’s momentum and drive urban policy-making if the IPCC decides to make a Special Report on Climate and Cities” Statement by President of UCLG and Mayor of Istanbul, Kadir Topbaş, President of C40 and Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, and President of ICLEI and Mayor of Seoul, Park Won-Soon in a letter to the IPCC expressing their support for the report. This letter underlines the willingness of these organisationsto share their research and data on city climate action, should the report be commissioned.

Now is the time: support the campaign!

The #CitiesIPCC campaign aims to secure a maximum of the 195 national votes for the Cities and Climate Change proposal during the IPCC’s 43rd Session on April 11-13. A number of major cities, including Sydney, Vancouver, Rio, and Seoul have already started to call on their national governments to vote in favour of the report at the IPCC.

Cities are invited to:

  • Urge their national governments to vote for a Special Report on Cities and Climate Change in April in Nairobi
  • Support the Special Report on Cities and Climate Change on social media using the hashtag #CitiesIPCC

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