Cities as Global Actors - Enhancing Urban Leadership at G20

When countries negotiate climate action at high profile international forums, local perspectives and leadership largely remain on the sidelines. In this article, Rhea Srivastava says that with the UN estimating that by 2050, 75 per cent of the world's population will be living in urban areas, the interplay between the local and global will get more complex, and the global influence of local leadership and governance will only grow.

- Rhea Srivastava

Cities are the genesis of global challenges. For instance, cities are responsible for more than 70 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions and simultaneously bear the brunt of climate change induced extreme weather events. Yet, when countries negotiate climate action at high profile international forums, local perspectives and leadership largely remain on the sidelines. With the UN estimating that by 2050, 75 per cent of the world's population will be living in urban areas, the interplay between the local and global will get more complex, and the global influence of local leadership and governance will only grow.

City leaders from across the G20 countries will convene to set the discourse on climate action and sustainable development when discussions open at the Urban 20 (U20) engagement group of the intergovernmental forum at Ahmedabad, Gujarat on February 9, 2023. The critical deliberations are expected to reinforce the need for national governments to recognize the centrality of cities in providing and sharing innovative local solutions to global issues, while meeting global targets such as that of the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Cities as Significant Actors in International Development