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Over 8,000 cities set more ambitious climate targets than national govts – Report – EnviroNews
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More than 8,000 cities and local authorities worldwide have established emissions-reduction targets that are more ambitious than those of their respective national governments, according to a new report by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM).
The alliance disclosed that 58 per cent of its signatories, representing more than 8,000 local authorities, have set more ambitious climate targets than their national governments, while another 28 per cent are aiming to achieve their targets earlier.
The findings are contained in GCoM’s 2026 Impact Report, launched on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.
Released to mark the alliance’s 10th anniversary, the report highlights the growing influence of cities and local governments in advancing global climate action, noting that membership has doubled since 2016 to more than 14,000 cities and local authorities.
According to the report, the alliance now represents approximately one in seven people globally, with its members collectively holding the potential to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 4.8 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050.
The projected reduction is equivalent to more than four months of global crude oil production at current levels.
It also disclosed that nearly 7,500 signatories have developed climate action plans, while more than 220,000 mitigation actions have been reported across the alliance.
Commenting on the findings, GCoM Global Ambassador, Anne Hidalgo, said cities and local governments had consistently demonstrated leadership in setting ambitious climate targets and implementing solutions.
“Over the last 10 years, cities and local governments have proven that when they lead, the world moves to catch up with them. The 2026 GCoM Impact Report is proof that city ambition hasn’t fallen; national commitments have risen,” Hidalgo said.
She described local governments as pacesetters for climate and energy action, adding that they continued to demonstrate the capacity to move further and faster in tackling climate change.
Growing Local Climate Action
The report highlighted progress in translating climate commitments into practical interventions, particularly the increasing number of cities developing net-zero targets backed by implementation pathways.
It revealed that the number of signatories with net-zero targets and accompanying implementation plans increased from 211 in 2025 to 580 in 2026.
Additionally, 3,078 cities have completed climate risk assessments covering approximately 735 million people.
The report cited initiatives across different regions to demonstrate how local governments are developing solutions suited to their respective circumstances.
In Viladecans, Spain, a partnership involving government, private businesses and citizens is promoting energy efficiency and sustainable housing renovation as the city works towards climate neutrality by 2030.
In San Luis Potosí, Mexico, authorities are deploying a real-time digital risk atlas to strengthen disaster prevention and improve urban planning.
Similarly, Kisumu County in Kenya is developing a roadmap to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050.
According to GCoM, these initiatives demonstrate how cities and local authorities of different sizes are translating climate commitments into practical, locally adapted solutions.
Climate Finance Remains Major Challenge
Despite the progress recorded, the report identified inadequate climate finance as a major obstacle to implementing local climate action, particularly in vulnerable regions and developing economies.
It cited figures from the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance showing that, of the $831 billion in annual urban climate finance tracked, barely one per cent is directed towards adaptation.
Cities in emerging markets and developing economies receive approximately $6 billion annually, compared with an estimated requirement of $147 billion per year by 2030.
The report stressed the need to improve access to financing at different stages of project development, enabling cities to transform climate proposals into investment-ready projects.
Through its partnership with the City Climate Finance Gap Fund, GCoM has engaged 452 cities across 63 countries, supported 347 climate project ideas and provided capacity-building opportunities to more than 1,100 participants.
It cited an example from central Bosnia, where early-stage technical assistance provided through the GCoM-Gap Fund partnership helped secure €12 million in financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The funding will support energy-efficiency improvements in 50 public buildings, demonstrating how technical assistance can help local climate projects attract investment.
Global South Increasingly Central to Climate Action
Looking ahead, the report highlighted the growing importance of developing countries in the alliance’s activities, noting that 61 per cent of residents represented by GCoM signatories now live in the Global South.
Smaller municipalities also account for a significant proportion of membership, representing 83 per cent of the alliance’s members.
The report further pointed to increasing international recognition of the role cities play in achieving national climate commitments.
Citing UN-Habitat data, it disclosed that 81 per cent of national climate commitments now contain strong urban content, compared with 49 per cent in the previous round.
However, GCoM stressed that greater recognition of local governments must translate into improved access to climate finance, technical capacity and stronger cooperation between national and subnational authorities.
As it enters its second decade, the alliance said it would prioritise accelerating climate implementation through finance, data, innovation and partnerships to help cities convert ambitious commitments into measurable results.
New Publications Target Urban Climate Implementation
In a related development, GCoM and its partners launched three new publications at COP31 to strengthen the connection between climate research and local implementation.
The publications draw on outcomes from the 2026 Innovate4Cities Conference held in Nairobi and comprise the Innovate4Cities Outcomes Report, the Youth Team Reflections Report and the Global Research and Action Agenda (GRAA) 2026–2028 Priorities.
The reports outline strategies for unlocking urban climate finance, integrating youth-led governance and local knowledge into climate decision-making, and ensuring that actionable research and data inform urban climate policies.
They are also expected to contribute evidence and recommendations to the forthcoming Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Cities.
The publications reinforce GCoM’s emphasis on strengthening partnerships among researchers, policymakers, young people and local authorities to accelerate climate solutions in cities worldwide.
