The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C left no question about the future: at the current rate of warming of 0.2°C per decade, global warming will reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels around 2040, disrupting basic social and economic activities around the world.

The battle against climate change can only be won with cities. But, cities cannot do it alone. They are often limited by a lack of access to the resources required to deliver climate action. Multilevel integration can play a key role in raising national ambitions and promoting innovation and action at the local level. This includes vertically integrating investment plans of local authorities into national climate investment plans to address the urban finance gap.

Climate action has taken on a new urgency, and people across the world and across sectors are ready to “Take Ambition to the Next Level.” This was especially clear at the Global Climate Action Summit held in San Francisco, September 2018. Throughout this impactful event, we aimed to shine a spotlight on the contributions of city leaders and announced new initiatives and tools to support cities’ efforts to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change, fulfilling their commitments and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Intermediary cities play a unique and crucial role in the fight against climate change. These cities account for 30 percent of the world’s urban population, a figure estimated to rise to 50 percent in 20 years. They also play a primary role in connecting important rural and urban areas to basic facilities and services – and are where we’ll see the most impact from local leaders’ efforts to reduce global warming.

Cities such as Quito have already proven to be central to the fight against climate change, as local governments across the world are increasingly mandating the construction of zero-emission and resilient infrastructures, from buildings to transport and public spaces, that facilitate environmental and health sustainability co-benefits. However, they are often limited by a lack of access to the required resources.