Roundtables at Cities Climate Action Summit

The biggest barrier to city-led climate action is access to funding. Only a fraction of global climate finance directly reaches cities due to restrictive funding structures, while private capital remains hesitant to invest at scale in urban climate projects due to perceived risks. This roundtable will focus on breaking down barriers and exploring new funding pathways for cities, with talking points to include:

• Expanding direct access to international climate finance – how can cities unlock more funding from global climate finance institutions? 
• CHAMP and the role of multilevel climate finance at COP30 – what commitments should cities push for? 
• Innovative urban finance models – leveraging green bonds, resilience bonds, and impact investment funds to accelerate local climate projects 
• Ensuring accountability in climate finance – addressing transparency gaps, avoiding greenwashing, and ensuring that funds reach vulnerable communities.

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Cities are experiencing an unprecedented shift in energy demand, driven by electrification, AI-powered infrastructure, and digital economies. With growing pressures to decarbonise grids, integrate renewables, and improve energy efficiency, cities must urgently rethink how they generate, distribute, and consume energy. Here, we will explore how cities can accelerate the transition to clean energy and efficient usage, covering:

• Decentralising energy grids with distributed energy networks – scaling up microgrids, energy storage, and local renewables to reduce dependency on centralised power 
• Leveraging smart grids and AI for energy efficiency – reducing waste, balancing loads, and optimising city-wide consumption 
• Ensuring equitable energy transitions – preventing energy poverty and ensuring affordable, community-led solutions. 

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Climate technology is transforming how cities plan, manage, and respond to environmental challenges. Yet, gaps in funding, interoperability, and digital equity are slowing the adoption of these solutions. This roundtable will explore how cities can integrate AI, IoT, and advanced analytics into their climate action strategies while ensuring technological accessibility, public trust, and long-term scalability. Key themes include:

• AI and data-driven climate action – how predictive analytics and AI-powered modelling can enhance urban climate resilience 
• Digital twins for climate-aware urban development – integrating virtual simulations with real-world infrastructure planning 
• Scaling environmental monitoring networks – deploying real-time air quality sensors, climate risk modelling, and predictive weather analytics 
• Overcoming digital inequity – ensuring that technological solutions benefit all communities, rather than widening the digital divide.

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As climate ambitions ramp up globally, sub-national governments must play a stronger role in shaping national and international policy frameworks – ensuring that cities are key architects of climate strategy. The urgency of this discussion is amplified by COP30’s focus on strengthening multilevel governance through initiatives like the Coalition of High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP). This roundtable will examine how cities can push for greater autonomy, influence global decision-making, and develop climate policies that are legally enforceable, equitable, and aligned with broader sustainability goals, including:

• Breaking silos between national and local climate policies – ensuring sub-national governments have the authority and resources to act independently while aligning with national climate targets 
• Building enforceable climate action frameworks – overcoming policy inertia, implementing emissions reduction targets, and integrating climate action into urban planning laws 
• Bridging climate policy and social equity – ensuring that local policies address climate justice and benefit the most vulnerable urban populations.
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