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Q- We see some strengths in your coalition’s strategy to transform and construct cities in a way that better migitates and reduces the effects of fossil fuel and greenhouse gas emissions on the climate. However, we note that mention of renewable energy investment is missing entirely. We also question the logic of “increasing the price of coal on the market” to create substantial change, given that without significant moves to renewable energy generation, more gas is required, which the Australian Energy Market Operator forecasts to increase in price by 48 per cent over the next 20 years (Clean Energy Council, 2014).

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Economically, 'The Green Growth Network's' viability seems questionable. Given that c40 cities account for 70% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, do you believe that the idea of increasing economic output and decreasing levels of pollution can honestly be satisfied in correlation with each other? It is a great idea in theory, but practically the industries creating most of these emissions also create jobs, and we are already seeing a spike in job shortages and overpopulation in major centres. How do you think this could be dealt with in a manner which indeed does fulfil both aspects of the 'green growth project'?

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- Questions -                                  by Queensland Government

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- Questions -                                  by Queensland Government

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The forcefulness of a globally connected networks of cities is undeniably greater than States in implementing climate change initiatives. However, given its 'limited international legal personality' it is questionable whether cross-border climate programs are impactful enough to bring about measurable changes in the local areas. Also, having such diverse range of community participants and sponsorship,  the institution itself could be positioned as a means for its participating member to credit their doings. Therefore, its credibility is questioned.

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Made up of approximately 90 of the world’s greatest cities, it represents over 650 million people and a quarter of the world’s economy. Created and led by cities, C40 is focused on mitigating climate change and urban action that reduces harmful emissions.

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A Commuter Revolution: How Cities are Collaborating to Solve the Challenges of Sustainable Urban Transport

By Mark Watts, Executive Director C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, & Hany Fam, EVP Enterprise Partnerships, Mastercard

More than half of the world's population lives in urban areas (by 2050 this number is expected to rise to two thirds) and cities are responsible for more than 70 percent of global energy related carbon dioxide emissions.

Research by C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) and Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) found that urban policy decisions made before 2020 could lock in one-third of the remaining safe global carbon budget. This means that mayors in office today have just 4 years left to consider some major questions about priorities for their cities: Should they build more new roads or modernize public transport? Are they allowing more urban sprawl or encouraging the development of a compact city? How will they fund the sustainable infrastructure and programmes that they know are needed to tackle climate change?

These are always tough questions and the urgency to tackle them in the context of a rapidly changing climate, only exacerbates the challenge.

One of the sectors where these questions are most urgent is in transportation. By connecting people to employment, leisure and education opportunities, transport networks are essential to making cities such dynamic places to live. Yet it is also the sector where global greenhouse gas emissions are rising most quickly. Research by C40 has found that the transportation sector accounts for an average of 27% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated in C40 cities.

Air pollution in cities, much of it caused by vehicles, has become a major public health challenge. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 5.5 million premature deaths globally each year due to urban air pollution.

Congestion also has a major economic impact. In Rio de Janeiro, it is estimated that congestion costs about 2.5% of GDP, while road congestion already costs Asian economies an estimated 2-5% of GDP every year due to lost productivity as commuters are stuck in their vehicles.

The good news is that mayors, city officials and the private sector are working together to find solutions to these urgent challenges. At COP21 in Paris, C40 and MasterCard launched the C40 Mobility Management Network, a network of the world's mega-cities who want to talk about mobility challenges and transform the way people move in their cities.

This month in the lead up to COP22, the Mobility Management Network will meet in Paris, the lead city of the Network. Hosted by Mayor Anne Hidalgo, representatives of fifteen cities as diverse as Auckland, Boston, Kolkata, Mexico City, Nairobi, Quito, Stockholm and Wuhan will come together to tackle complex transportation issues and share ideas to transform cities.

Mobility management is the art of encouraging citizens to make better decisions about how they move around the city. This means providing them with more transport options and making it easier for citizens to choose the transport options that will most benefit public health, social equity and the climate. The theme of the network is therefore about making public transit a more attractive option for citizens through measures to reduce private car use and increasing walking and cycling options.

In practice this will mean Los Angeles talking about how they are in the midst of a transformation from the car capital of the world to a city with world-class transit and transportation options. Wuhan will present on their bicycle sharing scheme which is set to become one of the largest in the world. Stockholm will discuss the challenges it faced in implementing congestion pricing and the benefits it has seen from the policy.

In Anne Hidalgo, we could not hope for a better host. From her efforts to close the right bank of the Seine to cars and banning the most polluting vehicles from entering the city to leading a group of European mayors calling for the EU to impose stricter limits on diesel engines, Mayor Hidalgo is a leader who has taken decisive action to transform her city and change the way that people move.
Why networks and collaboration are key
The network model is a proven tool for cities to share ideas, experiences and innovations. A recent C40 report has shown that roughly a third of C40 cities' action is delivered by knowledge sharing - in other words by adopting measures that other cities have already implemented.

The private sector also has a vital role to play in supporting cities and citizens to make the right transport decisions. Public and private sectors need to work hand in hand, sharing technical and logistical expertise, agreeing on common standards and finding new ways to finance investments.

This is why C40 and MasterCard came together to establish the Mobility Management network - aimed at helping cities to move from ideas to action in order to reduce emissions, save cost and improve the quality of life for their citizens - to move faster and with more impact. As a growing number of cities share knowledge and best practices to drive climate action, we have a unique opportunity to create more sustainable, inclusive, livable cities. MasterCard and C40 are ready to support cities in delivering that commuter revolution.

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C40: A Commuter Revolution: How Cities are Collaborating to Solve the Challenges of Sustaina...

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A Commuter Revolution: How Cities are Collaborating to Solve the Challenges of Sustainable Urban Transport By Mark Watts, Executive Director C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, & Hany Fam, EVP Enterprise Partnerships, Mastercard More than half of the world's population lives in urban areas (by 2050 this number is expected to rise to two thirds) and cities are responsible for more than 70 percent of global energy related carbon dioxide emissions.

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City Diplomacy Brief, April 2018

An update from C40's City Diplomacy team.

25 cities commit to working with the G20 in response to major global challenges
Cities will contribute more to the G20 process this year than ever before thanks to a new Urban 20 (U20) initiative that promotes dialogue and cooperation between 25 global cities and G20 nations. In a joint statement published in April, the mayors of leading cities from G20 nations ask G20 leaders to work jointly on key global development issues including climate action, the future of work and social integration and inclusion. On climate specifically, mayors call on G20 leaders to achieve common goals, which include emissions neutrality by 2050 and enhancing resilience in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. At the time of writing 25 major cities from various G20 countries have joined U20 and 21 have endorsed the Joint Statement. Read the full press release .

U20 was launched in December 2017 as a joint initiative of Buenos Aires and Paris, convened by C40 in collaboration with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). The objective of U20 is to support cities to develop a collective message on issues of global interest and engage in a dialogue with the leaders of the G20 to explore joint solutions, advocate for empowering policies and encourage more ambitious action at national and international level.

The inaugural U20 Mayoral Summit will take place in Buenos Aires on October 29-30, ahead of the G20 Heads of State Summit hosted by Argentina.

Representatives of the U20. Photo credit: Joséphine Brueder

C40's Talanoa Dialogue story: How cities are leading the way
As part of the Talanoa Dialogue, C40 and its partners have submitted their contributions to the three key questions requested by the COP23: Where are we? Where do we want to go? How do we get there? The Talanoa Dialogue, a name and model of inclusive and transparent engagement proposed by the Fijian COP23 Presidency, borrows from traditional story telling practices from the Pacific Islands and has been adopted as the way to deliver the Facilitative Dialogue required by the Paris Agreement. The Talanoa Dialogue will serve as the first global stocktaking exercise. It will take place throughout 2018 and conclude at COP24.

You can read C40's contribution to the Talanoa Dialogue and explore more on ICLEI's Talanoa Dialogue Cities & Regions or the official Talanoa Dialogue Platform .

CitiesIPCC: The science we need for the cities we want
From March 5-7 in Edmonton, Canada, C40 delivered the first-of-its kind ' Cities and Climate Change Science Conference ', in partnership with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and nine global urban and scientific organisations. Over the course of 3 days, an overwhelming 50 parallel sessions, 8 plenaries and 10 press events took place, giving the opportunity for over 700 scientists, urban practitioners and policy makers to discuss the scientific evidence available on climate change in cities, the scale of emissions reductions necessary and the potential for cities to innovate and truly make a difference for global climate change at the local level, and establish the global research agenda on cities and climate change for the next ten years.

The joint statement "T he science we need for the cities we want ", presented on the last day of the Conference, invites stakeholders to promote and implement the global research agenda on cities and climate change, stimulate research and the production of knowledge, encourage science-based and evidence-based climate action in cities and the creation and strengthening of partnerships.

The CitiesIPCC Conference marks the beginning of a new era of collaboration between the scientific and urban communities. As local leaders and scientists have been among the strongest advocates for climate action for many years, their collaboration is inevitable and necessary. The innovative and forward-thinking leadership of cities around the world, supported by the enlightening and robust evidence of scientists is bound to give rise to radically transformative actions and drive the change we need to see in the world.

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City Diplomacy Brief, April 2018 An update from C40's City Diplomacy team. 25 cities commit to working with the G20 in response to major global challenges Cities will contribute more to the G20 process this year than ever before thanks to a new Urban 20 (U20) initiative that promotes dialogue and cooperation between 25 global cities and G20 nations.

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C40 : Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets Declaration

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Building Initiative to reduce carbon emissions.

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Building Initiative to reduce carbon emissions.

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http://www.c40.org/programmes/building-energy-2020-programme

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In term of economy, C40 Cities have been doing their best to reduce the emission of GHG and CO₂ through political and social means. The organisation has 2 major projects-The Green Growth and the Low Emission Vehicle network.

The Green Growth network:

This network focuses on sustainable economy. The goal is to increase economy AND reduce global greenhouse gas emission and other environmental or/and global risks. The project prioritises three areas:

1. Political case-organising and making a general idea of the socio-economy benefits against climate change and drawing drafts for standard measures for the issues in the cities involve

2. Private sector-engaging in transaction and negotiation with cities and their private sectors for solutions/providers

3. Green Procurement-supporting the greening acquisition policies and inventory to enable better engagement with the private sector.

An example of this network would be the increase in carbon tax in Singapore and the increase in price of coal on the market. .

The Low Emission Vehicle network:

As the name suggest, the network’s goal is to reduce CO₂ emission from vehicles. We all know that transportation is one of biggest contributor to global warming, going up to 27% of CO₂ emission and greenhouse gas emission. LEV, leaded by London, encourages drivers to switch to fossil fuel to produce lower GHG emission. LEV also suggests car producers to mass produce electric vehicles which will significantly reduce CO₂ and GHG emission by 1.5 tons per years, 53% to 62% per year.

Such large-scale project will take years to implement into the city as it’s will impact our daily life. The Low Emission Vehicle network has decided to start small focusing in four areas:

1. Citywide LEV strategy-developing and refining low emission vehicle strategy for cities

2. Infrastructure-planning for EV charging, hydrogen and other type of refilling infrastructure

3. Incentives-increase promotion for LEV

4. Fleets-promoting LEV in bus, taxi, municipal and other citywide fleets

A minor area of some countries has already started this project and C40 Cities expect that when the network is completed and implemented nationwide and worldwide, society will never be the same.

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In conjunction with the UN.

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Paris and Mexico City share stories of hope and ambition at the United Nations

By Agathe Cavicchioli, City Diplomacy Manager at C40 Cities
Paris, Mexico City and C40's City Diplomacy Programme recently participated in the United Nations' Talanoa Dialogue, an unprecedented opportunity for cities and all other members of civil society to assess our global efforts in relation to the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Our presence showcased ambitious urban leadership and sent a strong message of commitment to the 1.5 objective of the Paris Agreement via long-term climate strategies and emissions-neutrality by 2050.
"Talanoa" is a traditional word used in Fiji and across the Pacific to reflect a process of inclusive, participatory and transparent dialogue. The Talanoa Dialogue, designed under the leadership of the COP23 Fijian Presidency, relies on principles of mutual respect, trust building and empathy to reach decisions. In this spirit, the Talanoa Dialogue has included Parties to the United Nations Climate Convention and non-Party stakeholders - or observers - that represent civil society, the private sector and cities. It was designed around three questions, which all were invited to answer: Where are we? Where do we want to go? How do we get there?

"To realise the aspiration of a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future, more than 40 cities have committed to becoming emissions neutral by 2050 and improving their resilience to climate impacts," said Emmanuelle Pinault, Head of City Diplomacy at C40. "Mayors are delivering their share of global climate action and we urge the global community to join us, increase their ambition and pursue the 1.5°C objective of the Paris Agreement. We urge all Parties to put in place, by 2020, long-term strategies needed to achieve this."

C40 is actively involved in the Talanoa Dialogue process: we submitted a written contribution and had a strong representation in the dialogue this past Sunday in Bonn, with Paris and Mexico City both sharing their stories.

"The objectives of the Paris Agreement are clear and there is overwhelming evidence determining what they mean for global GHG emissions. It is now everyone's responsibility to achieve it at their level through long-term strategies," said Yann Françoise, Head of Climate, Energy and Circular Economy for the City of Paris. "In Paris, we've incorporated these objectives to design a 2050 carbon neutrality pathway with all the stakeholders (citizens, businesses, NGOs...). Last March, we published our new Climate Action Plan with over 500 actions to become a carbon neutral, fairer, more inclusive and resilient city. We'll achieve carbon neutrality in 2050 and more than 40 other C40 cities are doing the same, showing true urban leadership."

"Our ultimate goal in Mexico City is [also] to reach climate neutrality by 2050," said Tanya Müller, Secretary of Environment for Mexico City. "We understand the threat that climate change poses to our citizens and we recognise the huge potential benefits that climate action can bring to boost our economy, improve public health and create jobs. We encourage everyone to accelerate their efforts to deliver on the most ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement and limit global temperature rise to 1.5C. This moment in our history offers a unique opportunity to restore climate justice, build inclusive and resilient cities and ensure a just transition to sustainable, low-carbon cities worldwide."

The outcome of the Talanoa Dialogue will be reported at COP24 in December 2018, when the Dialogue enters its final political phase at ministerial level.

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C40: Paris and Mexico City share stories of hope and ambition at the United Nations

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Paris and Mexico City share stories of hope and ambition at the United Nations By Agathe Cavicchioli, City Diplomacy Manager at C40 Cities Paris, Mexico City and C40's City Diplomacy Programme recently participated in the United Nations' Talanoa Dialogue, an unprecedented opportunity for cities and all other members of civil society to assess our global efforts in relation to the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

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The Paris Agreement is based on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance beginning the year 2020. 195 countries adopted this in December 2015, accepting a global action plan to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below two degrees celsius.

When creating targets and implementing them through action plans, members of C40 are bound by the limits of domestic law, though there has generally been support between the state and city government. An example of this is Paris and France, where President Francois Hollande's leadership and partnership with Mayor Anne Hidalgo helped spearhead the UNFCCC. On the opposite side of the spectrum is President's Trump declaration of withdrawal from the agreement, and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's pledge in continuing to honour the pledge.

As an organisation C40 is positioned as an interesting emerging actor in the sphere of international law, as their activities may not be able to be regulated by Article 38(1) of the Statute of the International Court of Justice. Adding onto this, the ambiguity of cities at the moment as important players is due to the fact that there is no legal personality attributed to organisations such as C40. International legal personality would be both a massive boon and responsibility to the C40, allowing them to enjoy powers relating to treaties, immunity, delegations and international claims. They will also be allowed to participate directly with bodies and organisations, which will be a great help when dealing with issues relating to the UNFCCC.

There is a problem, however. Recognition is one of the criteria, and generally express recognition via the creation of a legal instrument or the support from other subjects. As it stands, C40 Cities will need more recognition as relevant actors. This is indeed something that the organisation is focused on, as shown by their presence and pledge at COP23 2017 to reduce their carbon emissions by 2050.

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The C40 Cities Leadership group is an organisation which aims to reduce carbon emissions through the urban action of global cities. Urbanisation is a huge contributor of carbon pollution, with a reported output of 70% of the global carbon emissions, due to the burning of fossil fuels (Churkina 2016). The expansion of urban populations has a causal relationship with increased land use and commercial access which results in higher consumption patterns. Urban areas consume two-thirds of the world’s energy and produces high levels of waste. This relationship between consumption and urbanisation is identified by the C40 group.

However the organisation’s stance adheres to the notion that urban growth can be implemented in a sustainable way, through efficient infrastructure and urban planning. City to city collaboration is the basis of the groups effectiveness as local action is shown to create immediate and efficient change which ultimately makes an impact on a global scale (C40 Cities 2018). By beginning with local action, this improves the ability to change public opinions and attitudes on carbon pollution. Willingness by local governments to change policy and introduce legislation can disrupt  behaviours that do not align with reducing carbon emissions.

As per the aims of the COP 21 to avoid a 2 degree increase in global temperature, the BE2020 programme was developed and implemented by the C40 group. This entails the decarbonisation of buildings which means to alter old buildings to be more efficient energy consumers or construct new buildings to be low to zero emitters by installing solar panels or capture waste heat (C40 Cities 2018). The impacts of this program will be heavily seen in cities with poor air quality such as Beijing. This will require fierce mobilization of citizen engagement however air quality is large public health concern which will drive support. As C40 is directed by city leaders, the ability to influence and garner support is stronger and utilised efficiently.

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C40 believes that cities have an active leadership role and are the vanguards to driving global action to address the issues of climate change. With this in mind, they work across numerous sectors and initiate areas, encouraging joined cities to collaborate with one another sharing knowledge and meaningful actions on promoting urban actions that reduces their climate risks. Their vast networks facilitates communications to city officials enabling them to share ideas and solutions tailored to their respective cities.

C40's strategy could not have been achieved without their partnership with organisations sharing similar objectives like World Resource Institute and ICLEI, with their  understanding of the importance of a cities relationship to climate changes. Moreover, through their partnership, they provide knowledge, services and expertise to cities to design and implement climate policies as well as programs. An example of such action is the GPC which is used as the single global standard to measure and report emissions in a way that allows for a credible contrast and aggregation across timescales and geographies.   These actions have been made possible because having defined their goals, they have amplified their call to national governments for greater autonomy and support. This extends to motivating mayors through peer-to-peer pressure and distributing relevant support  at the technical level to implement commitments. As a result, C40 had built a regional structure which supports their joined cities by allowing them to dynamically respond to local priorities and opportunities. Their regional directors serve as a bridge between regional C40 cities, city staff and organisation connecting both their cities as well as activities across their global network. In the event of COP 21, C40 took the initiative to establish a City Diplomacy Strategy as a mechanism to advance the acceleration of city action and support efforts to improve the link to a nations interest. The central aim of this policy is to

1. Demonstrate How Cities Are Leading the Way

2. Catalyze Action and Secure Resources for C40 Cities

3. Have a Positive Impact on an Inter-Governmental Agreement to Tackle Climate Change. However, being a significant multilateral conference, leaders from various nation states had hindered the progression of C40's aims as their interest clashed. Despite this, the organisation and along with its partners including the City of Paris, continues to bring together the Mayors of the world to cities in the fight against climate change, and to send a strong message to member states taking part in the COP.