December 2024 Newsletter

Dear friends and colleagues, 

This year has been extraordinary. In the span of the two months at the end of 2024, several major international conferences on the environment and urban development unfolded, offering a unique opportunity to drive coordinated action on interconnected crises. UrbanShift met the moment at events like the Biodiversity COP16 and World Urban Forum, issuing a powerful message on the vital role of sustainable and integrated urban development in addressing these challenges.  

As we have been emphasizing through our events and engagements over this past year, cities are critical to solving the climate crisis, but they need stronger representation on the global platform to reach their potential. Tighter coordination between national and local governments is essential for elevating the voices and potential of cities. We were heartened to close out the year with evidence that governments are taking note: During COP29 last month, Brazil submitted its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), featuring a strong commitment to climate federalism between the union, states, and municipalities. UrbanShift is proud to have played a role in facilitating this progress through our Brazil National-Local Dialogue, which offered a space for governments to align on a roadmap for enhanced coordination on climate and urban development targets. 

As this impactful year draws to a close, we’re thrilled to share our Annual Report, which explores the broad ranges of UrbanShift activities and outcomes from the past year. From global advocacy and engagement to capacity-building initiatives and on-the-ground transformation, the report showcases our collective impact. Over the past year, UrbanShift hosted 21 events reaching nearly 2,000 participants, and fostered the exchange of innovative ideas—from urban bioeconomy to people-centered climate resilience—across borders and contexts. In our work this past year and over the course of the whole program, UrbanShift has emphasized the importance of centering the most vulnerable people in addressing urban challenges, from extreme heat to air pollution. Especially as we work to expand cities’ ability to access critical climate finance, we must ensure that the most vulnerable urban residents are prioritized in benefiting from these resources. 

The message from the past year is clear: cities need more financial resources to implement transformative change, and they need a voice on the global stage to be able to access it. As we move into 2025, UrbanShift will work to scale up the climate and biodiversity agendas at the local level, catalyze urban investments, and deepen regional collaboration. By continuing to inspire local action to meet global ambitions, we can ensure that cities lead the way toward a resilient, inclusive, and zero-carbon future. 

Together, we are transforming urban landscapes—and the planet—for generations to come, and we look forward to sharing our progress with you in 2025. 

Gulnara Roll / Head, Cities Unit, Mitigation Branch, Climate Change Division, United Nations Environment Programme 

REVISITING URBANSHIFT’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO URBAN CLIMATE ACTION  

Over the course of a busy conference season, UrbanShift held valuable discussions and launched new resources to further the effort to direct resources toward the nature-positive, equitable cities we all need to thrive. 

We shared insights on overcoming barriers to strengthening urban biodiversity at COP16 in Colombia  Learn more about the event → 

During the 12th World Urban Forum in Cairo, we furthered the dialogue on scaling up urban climate finance and supported the publication of the State of Finance for Nature in Cities 2024 Learn more about the event and read the publication → 

Also, at WUF, we launched a comprehensive guide to integrating climate action into urban planning  Explore the guide here → 

UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES

Apply for the Global Mayors Challenge  

Led by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Global Mayors Challenge will award $1 million prizes to 25 cities from around the world to improve core city services such as public transportation, public parks and recreation opportunities, housing and shelter, clean water, air and infrastructure, waste management, energy use, and more. Applications must be novel, demonstrate how they will be delivered, and have potential for impact. Learn more. Applications are due by December 20.  

3-part webinar series: Building Capacity to Assess Urban Climate Hazards and Tackle Heat and Flooding in Cities

Co-organized by WRI India, UrbanShift, and Cities4Forests, this three-part capacity building training webinar series is designed to build capacity for city-led vulnerability assessments and nature-based approaches to enhance climate resilience in cities. The webinars will focus on the following topics: (1) the CHVA framework, (2) urban heat, and (3) urban flooding. City government officials from global South cities, national government officials with urban development mandates and other urban practitioners are encouraged to attend and advised to participate in all three webinars for a comprehensive learning experience. The webinars will be conducted in English and simultaneous interpretation will be offered in French and Bahasa Indonesia. Learn more and register. February 5, March 5, and March 26, 2025. 

Green & Resilient UrbanShift Africa Forum

This regional UrbanShift Forum will bring together cities and stakeholders from across the continent, including national and local governments, finance institutions, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and private sector entities focusing on sustainable urban development. The Forum will serve as a platform for exchanging best practices, fostering collaboration, networking, and advancing climate ambition, commitments, and international agenda targets specific to the African context. Forum: February 17 – 19, 2025; City Academy: February 20-21, 2025. Learn more.

Learn how to apply for C40 Cities Finance Facility support 

Cities can now apply for support from the Cities Finance Facility to develop finance-ready resilience projects. CCF will host several webinars through the end of January on the application and selection process. Details and registration for these webinars can be found here. All other details about the application process, including the application portal link, can be found on the application landing page. Please note, to apply you must be a representative of a city government or municipal agency. Your city also must be located in a country that is eligible for official development assistance according to the OECD DAC list. For further questions, contact the CFF team at contact@c40cff.org. 

About UrbanShift

UrbanShift's mission is to transform cities for people and planet through integrated urban development. We engage with more than 23 cities across nine countries (China, India, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Morocco, Costa Rica, Brazil and Argentina), bringing together local and global stakeholders to build a resilient, inclusive, zero-carbon urban future.