The power of cities: harnessing low-carbon urbanization for climate action

Extensive transformations of urban areas in rapidly urbanizing developing countries can be a powerful vehicle for advancing low-carbon urban growth that supports global decarbonization goals. The scale of urban growth in these countries underscores the need to pursue low-carbon urbanization pathways and avoid carbon-intensive development. The report highlights the urgency to integrate low-carbon urbanization priorities into countries’ national climate change strategies, especially their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Long-Term Low-GHG Emission Development Strategies (LTSs), which often overlook the mitigation potential of urban systems, and outlines the opportunities to leverage them as bridges between national decarbonization and urban development goals.