GREEN & RESILIENT URBANSHIFT AFRICA FORUM 2025
UrbanShift's forum for Africa will gather leaders from cities and national governments from across the continent to collectively discuss the role of urban planning amidst rapid urbanisation and climate breakdown.
Hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, the regional UrbanShift Forum for Africa will bring together cities and stakeholders from Kenya, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria, Madagascar, Mali, Congo and many more countries. Participants will represent 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. With most of the world's projected urban growth expected to occur in Africa, the Forum will focus on resilience, urban planning, and infrastructure development.
The Forum will feature various sessions, including but not limited to the following:
- High-level Opening Ceremony (open to all): Welcome remarks followed by an inspiring lineup of speakers who will reflect on the progress made so far and outline the path ahead to create green, resilient, and thriving cities.
- Forum Plenary Sessions (open to all): A series of carefully curated and impactful sessions on climate science, climate finance, and business engagement, featuring key experts and thought leaders.
- Site Visit (open to all, limited spaces): Practical demonstration of climate action.
- Investors Roundtable (closed-door): A focused discussion on financing strategies for decarbonising urban energy systems and accelerating financial flows to close the energy infrastructure gap.
- Mayoral Gatherings (closed-door): Gatherings with mayors in the region to discuss priorities and opportunities.
- Parallel Sessions (open to all): A variety of sessions focused on accelerating the deployment of climate-resilient infrastructure amidst rapid urban growth in Africa, delivered by a wide range of partners.
- Networking Opportunities (open to all): Engage with peers, experts, and stakeholders during dedicated networking sessions and informal gatherings.
If you have any questions, please email us at africaforum@c40.org.
PHOTOS
- Day 1: Registration, Mayor's convening, Opening Plenary
- Day 2: Plenary sessions and regional mayor's convening
- Site visits: Mukuru Special Planning Area, Luthuli Avenue, Ocean Sole, ROAM Electric Mobility
- Day 3: Parallel sessions
- Days 4 & 5: City Academy courses
UrbanShift Looks Back: Reflecting on the Impact of our Capacity-Building Offer
WRI’s Mariana Orloff and John-Rob Pool share highlights and learnings from our broad capacity-building efforts, from the City Academy to Peer-to-Peer Exchanges.
Climate Action Guide for Urban Planners
From C40, UrbanShift, and Community Jameel, this guide leads urban planners and practitioners through how to effectively infuse climate action into the development of urban plans.
PEER-TO-PEER EXCHANGE ON CLEAN AIR ZONES
This 3-day P2P exchange will bring together Madrid, Johannesburg, Marrakech, and national government representatives from Morocco to discuss the planning, implementation, and monitoring of Clean Air Zones.
How African cities can develop to become green, resilient, and inclusive
During the Green & Resilient UrbanShift Africa Forum, leaders from across the continent united to learn and share insights on accelerating transformative urban planning approaches—and the finance needed to implement them.
