What C40’s Report, Climate Action in Megacities 3.0, Means to COP21

By the Bloomberg Philanthropies Environment Team

C40’s new report, Climate Action in Megacities 3.0, contains exciting and encouraging news about the world’s collective fight against climate change – and about the leading role that cities are playing in driving progress. The report, released on November 23, comes just weeks before world leaders gather in Paris to try and create a global agreement to limit carbon emissions.

One of the most important things the world can do to support Paris is to be there during the UN summit, and C40 and Bloomberg Philanthropies will continue doing everything we can to encourage people to attend. In many ways, the Paris summit has already succeeded where others have failed – nations have set higher goals for reducing carbon, and they’re cooperating across borders.

The world is in a better shape going in to Paris than it was going in to Copenhagen, largely because cities – C40 cities especially – have helped lead the way. The progress C40 cities have made has accelerated as cities share data, information, and best practices. And a little friendly competition doesn’t hurt either; if Paris knows that Rio is doing something great, Paris is going to copy it.

Cities are setting a clear example for nation states that real and measurable progress can be made in the fight against climate change and the Climate Action in Megacities 3.0 report describes how that’s happening. It also lays out a blueprint for how cities can make the biggest gains reducing carbon and protecting people from risk.