COP 28: Ministers unite to endorse a 10-point plan for cities, driving inclusivity and climate finance to tackle rising sea levels and urban heat
The COP28 Presidency, together with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, and Bloomberg Philanthropies, has urged housing, urban development, environment, and finance ministers to support the 'Joint Outcome Statement on Urbanisation and Climate Change.'
This statement, backed by over 40 Ministers of Environment, Urban Development, and Housing, was presented during the second Ministerial Meeting on Urbanisation and Climate Change at COP28.
The statement outlines a ten-point plan that aims to increase the involvement of cities in the decision-making process on climate change, promote multilevel climate action, and speed up the deployment of urban climate finance to enable cities to respond to the climate crisis. Currently, 90 percent of municipalities are threatened by rising sea levels and storms, and their residents are exposed to temperatures ten degrees higher than those of their counterparts in rural areas.
During COP28, the COP28 Presidency repeated its call to national governments to integrate climate action among all levels of government and collaborate with subnational governments on the design and implementation of new climate plans and policies, including the next round of NDCs ahead of COP30 in 2025.
The statement builds on the 'Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships' (CHAMP), launched at the Local Climate Action Summit (LCAS) on December 1 during COP28. CHAMP aims to identify and strengthen levers to increase and accelerate the deployment of climate finance to enable cities and local governments to respond to the climate crisis.
It also aims to allow the inclusion of local and regional leaders in the formation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). To date, CHAMP has been endorsed by over 60 national governments.
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the president of COP28, said, "COP28 is a paradigm shift to action. We are empowering and supporting cities on the frontlines of climate change to seize the initiative. We have brought over 450 mayors and governors to COP28, and their hyperlocal knowledge is crucial in informing our global solutions. This is what we mean when we talk about inclusivity: we need all voices at the table. I thank and commend those involved for their leadership."
The Ministerial Meeting on Urbanisation and Climate Change is the second time Ministers responsible for Housing, Urban Development, and Environment have gathered during the COP process. The first meeting took place during COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh with the support of UN-Habitat.
During the COP28 Ministerial, delegates called for the continuation of the Ministerial Meeting on Urbanisation and Climate Change in future COP meetings.