Cities Lead Climate Action Where Nations Fall Short
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: Cities worldwide are making faster progress on climate action than national governments, with three-quarters of C40 cities reducing per capita emissions more quickly than their countries.
📈 One key stat: Per capita emissions across C40’s cities fell 7.5 percent on average between 2015 and 2024, demonstrating that local climate leadership is making measurable progress despite rising global emissions.
💬 One key quote: “The untold story is that cities and local leaders really mobilized in a big way in Paris, but also in the decade since. It’s where the action happens, and it’s also where people are suffering the impacts the most.”
1️⃣ The big picture: Ten years after the Paris Agreement, cities are proving to be climate action frontrunners while national efforts fall short. According to a new report by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and C40, urban centers representing nearly 600 million people are implementing effective climate solutions faster than their national governments. Cities face especially acute climate impacts, including urban heat islands, flooding, and coastal challenges, making their leadership crucial. From Melbourne’s 20-minute neighborhoods to Shenzhen’s electric bus fleet, urban innovations are creating more sustainable, livable communities while significantly reducing emissions.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Mayors can deploy climate solutions more quickly than national governments because they’re more connected to residents’ immediate needs and face less political division. Cities are transforming urban spaces with initiatives like Quezon City’s 337 gardens and 10 model farms, and Freetown’s planting of 550,000 trees, which simultaneously reduce temperatures, mitigate flooding, and create jobs. Clean energy adoption is accelerating, with Buenos Aires installing solar panels on over a hundred schools and Qab Elias enabling solar installations for half its homes. These actions not only address climate change but also improve quality of life, economic opportunity, and public health.
3️⃣ What’s next: Urban climate finance needs to increase dramatically, from the current $179 billion in disclosed projects to $4.5 trillion annually by 2030. National governments must strengthen partnerships with cities through initiatives like the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships. These investments yield long-term returns by reducing future disaster recovery and healthcare costs.
Read the full story here: Grist – As nations lag on climate action, their cities are stepping up. Here’s proof.
