Key Takeaways
⇢ Effective climate action requires intersectional approaches that address social
justice, urban resilience, and economic equity.
⇢ Cities are pivotal in accelerating climate adaptation and mitigation through zoning,
mobility planning, green infrastructure, and community-led initiatives.
⇢ Citizen engagement and co-governance models enhance the effectiveness and
legitimacy of urban climate policies.
Summary
a. Climate activism is evolving beyond protest to include policy engagement,
institutional advocacy, and localized implementation strategies.
b. Addressing climate change requires balancing large-scale interventions, such as
carbon pricing, electrification, etc., with hyper-local, context-specific solutions, such
as energy projects and nature-based solutions.
c. Role of Cities in Climate Action:
○ Cities are high-emission zones but also innovation hubs for climate
solutions.
○ Effective climate policies require collaboration between governments, the
private sector, civil society, and local communities.
○ Some practical solutions include:
– Investment in blue-green infrastructure to manage urban heat and
flooding.
– Integrating climate justice into municipal policies to address
disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities.
– Climate budgeting should be adopted at the city level to embed
sustainability into financial planning.
d. An urban model based on capacity, proximity, and people-centered public
spaces has been proven to be the most effective and sustainable.
How can Cities apply these learnings / findings?
a. Implement incentives for green buildings, create stricter environmental impact
assessments, and integrate climate adaptation into master plans.
b. Invest in active transportation infrastructure and public transit electrification.
c. Fund and support local resilience initiatives such as urban forests, rainwater
harvesting, and decentralized energy systems.
d. Align municipal budgets with climate goals through emissions tracking and carbon-
neutral investment strategies.
Interesting resources
a. Paris Climate Action Plan by C40 Cities –
https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/Paris-climate-action-
plan?language=en_US#:~:text=Paris'%20key%20climate%20targets%2C%20initial
ly,2030%2C%20compared%20to%202004%20levels.
b. City of Cape Town Climate Change Action Plan –
https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/City%20strategies%2C
%20plans%20and%20frameworks/CCT_Climate_Change_Action_Plan.pdf
c. Paris School Streets Program
d. Seattle Downtown Activation Plan – https://www.downtownisyou.com/
e. Curitiba’s Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
f. Climate action guide for urban planners by C40 Cities –
https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/Climate-action-guide-for-urban-
planners?language=en_US
Ideas for further reading / research
a. Doughnut Economics – Book by Kate Raworth
b. Cities for People – Book by Jan Gehl
c. The Work of Jane Jacobs
