Groundbreaking research released showing rapid expansion and acceleration of city-led actions to
combat climate change.
C40 gains momentum, adding three African cities to membership and launching a competitive
programme to provide dedicated staff resources to global cities.
UN engagement forges larger role for cities in the international dialogue on climate change.
Johannesburg, South Africa – Mayors and top officials from more than 45 cities
joined global leaders for the fifth biennial C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) Mayors Summit,
hosted for the first time on the African continent, by the City of Johannesburg. In addition to releasing
landmark research about the climate actions taken by cities, C40 added African cities to its membership,
launched a new programme providing on-the-ground support to cities, and made a strong statement to
the global community about the role of cities in tackling climate change.
During the Summit, C40 released a landmark report, Climate Action in Megacities Volume 2.0 (CAM 2.0),
developed in partnership with consultancy firm Arup. CAM 2.0 provides compelling evidence that C40
cities are taking significant actions – such as implementing rigorous energy efficiency regulations for
buildings, bus rapid transit lines, or flood risk mapping – to reduce carbon emissions and climate risks.
The report builds upon research originally released at the 2011 C40 Mayors Summit in Sao Paulo.
“Mayors have the power and the will to confront climate change, and they are seizing every opportunity
to take action,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, philanthropist, 108th Mayor of New York City and President
of the C40 Board. “C40 cities are doing more than ever to reduce emissions and become resilient – that's
why they are increasingly looked to for leadership by the international community. In my new role as UN
Special Envoy on Cities and Climate Change I am looking forward to working with C40 cities, and other
cities around the world, to build on our progress."
C40 Chair, Mayor Eduardo Paes of Rio de Janeiro also announced several developments demonstrating
the momentum of C40 as one of the preeminent climate action organisations in the world. The global
network welcomed three African cities, Cape Town, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, bringing the total
representation of the continent to seven member cities and total C40 membership to 66.
“Although the African continent faces disproportionate impacts from climate change, we are no less
dedicated to contributing to solutions,” said C40 Summit host, Johannesburg Executive Mayor Mpho
Parks Tau. “African cities are growing at a tremendous rate and as mayors, it is our duty to ensure the
long-term sustainability of our communities. That’s why African mayors are stepping up to join the C40.”
In a letter presented to Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, and signed on to by more than
35 C40 mayors, Mayor Paes called for a specific urban goal among the overall global sustainable
development goals. The letter urged the UN’s Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals
to recognise the unique challenges of urban spaces, and presented a strong argument for the inclusion
of urban areas in national programmes.
“As a global mayor, and one whose city will forever be linked to the global sustainable development
agenda, I cannot stress enough the fact that without an urban goal the Sustainable Development Goals
will be incomplete,” said Mayor Paes.
The C40 Mayors Summit also marked the launch of a City Directors programme to provide dedicated,
on-the-ground staff to selected cities through a competitive application process. This significant
investment by the organisation in member cities will result in the development of projects and policies
to support local sustainability efforts, as well as increase the ability of cities to share best practices
through participation in C40 networks.
Further underscoring the larger role that cities are now playing in the international dialogue on climate
change, Bloomberg was recently appointed United Nations Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change.
In this capacity, Bloomberg will work with other mayors to increase their climate change-related
commitments and to encourage national governments to do the same. As evidence of the UN’s
increasing engagement with cities, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres participated in the
C40 Summit to consult mayors on the UN climate process.
Figueres said, “As we approach 2015, now is the time for city leaders to interact more effectively with
national governments, to ensure coherence in the design, and collaboration in the implementation of
climate change policies and measures. Only by concertedly contributing to the growing groundswell of
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