Reducing emissions in line with the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement and advancing climate resilient development requires unprecedented investments in sustainable and resilient urban infrastructure – up to US$5.4 trillion a year to 2030. This shift can ensure that local communities thrive despite the increasingly severe and frequent impacts of climate change.
Financial institutions may have the necessary capital to invest in urban climate projects, but they lack standardized, comparable and action-oriented data to make informed investment decisions. Greater availability of data on cities’ pending infrastructure projects is key to accelerating local governments’ access to suitable funding, financing opportunities and project support.
The findings presented in this global snapshot demonstrate the urgent demand for financing that unlocks the implementation of diverse projects at the subnational level. At the same time, this total investment figure is a significant underestimate of global needs.