Sustaining and Strengthening City Climate Action in the COVID-19 crisis for a green and climate-resilient recovery (ClimateCitiesRecovery)

Cities in developed and developing countries have emerged as critical actors in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to climate change impacts. Although the COVID-19 crisis has disrupted habits, short-term economic development and carbon emissions, it is less clear whether it represents a critical juncture beyond which cities will shift towards enduring low-carbon and climate-resilient pathways. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study seeks to identify factors that influence whether cities embark on low-carbon and resilient pathways, return to prior unsustainable pathways, or backtrack on climate commitments and head to unsustainable pathways. By comparing climate commitments of cities in developed and developing countries, the project team aims to challenge conventional paradigms about development and recovery from crises which often entail investments that lock-in high-carbon and unsustainable development. The aim is to shed light on those factors that can be harnessed - and actions that can be taken - by individual cities and networks of cities, to support a green and climate-resilient recovery.