The conference will convene the top stakeholders engaged in climate adaptation innovation from scientists to local leaders, decision makers and more to network, collaborate, learn, and inspire.

Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand (October 16, 2025) – Today, as the 2025 Adaptation Futures Conference comes to a close, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) and the 2027 Adaptation Futures Conference (AF27) to convene a dedicated ‘Cities Track’ and accompanying ‘Innovate4Cities Marketplace’ in Cancún, Mexico. AF27 will bring together scientists, decision-makers, practitioners, and communicators to share knowledge, identify critical gaps, and promote climate adaptation solutions at the local, regional, and global levels.

The leading international conference on climate change adaptation since its inception in 2010 and the flagship event of the World Adaptation Science Programme, Adaptation Futures has become a key global forum, rotating through regions such as Asia-Pacific, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa. AF27 will focus on risk reduction, cities and resilient infrastructure in coastal-marine areas, marine and coastal ecosystems, community-based adaptation in coastal-marine areas, and climate-resilient development.

Today, more than half of the climate risks and hazards reported across 13,800+ GCoM signatories encompass flood and sea level rise, extreme precipitation, extreme heat, and water scarcity. Floods, sea level rise, and extreme precipitation alone were reported by more than 4,000 GCoM signatories – highlighting the critical need for knowledge, capacity, and resources to catalyze evidence-based, people-centered adaptation action in line with the principles of climate-resilient development. Already, more than 2,300 GCoM signatories have completed an adaptation action plan, signaling strong ambition.

Focused on co-generating the knowledge necessary to enable action implementation that strengthens adaptive capacity and safeguards vulnerable populations, the Global Covenant of Mayors and its Innovate4Cities initiative will partner with AF27 to develop a ‘Cities Track’ and dedicated ‘Innovate4Cities Marketplace’ focused on climate-resilient development, Indigenous knowledge, care for vulnerable populations, and synergies between adaptation and mitigation action, among other critical topics. This builds on the Global Covenant of Mayors’ participation at the 2025 Adaptation Futures Conference, where they successfully completed a pilot for a ‘Climate Innovation Readiness Navigator for Cities and Local Governments’ across diverse cities in Oceania in partnership with the Melbourne Centre for Cities. The pilot tested climate innovation readiness in the cities and provided crucial insights for accelerating climate innovation across one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.

“The Global Covenant of Mayors is proud to partner with the 2027 Adaptation Futures Conference through our Innovate4Cities initiative to help curate, convene, and facilitate programming for cities that brings together knowledge and action across science, policy, and practice,” said Andy Deacon, Co-Managing Director of the Global Covenant of Mayors. “Cities play a critical role in planning, innovating,  and implementing adaptation action and climate-resilient development. It’s time to equip them with the knowledge and capacity to turn ambition into results.”

“The 2027 Adaptation Futures Conference is proud to announce this significant partnership with the Global Covenant of Mayors, strengthening the scientific and knowledge base that intersects climate change, cities and settlements.” said Dr. Debora Ley, Co-chair of the Adaptation Futures 2027 Committee. “Cancun, together with other coastal cities, are at the forefront of climate action and we’re excited to explore further science, policy and action that leads to climate resilient development while ensuring protection for biodiversity.”

AF2027 will now serve as the latest high-profile engagement for the Innovate4Cities initiative, following Innovate4Cities Conferences held in 2024 in Montréal (Canada) and in 2026 in Nairobi (Kenya). The initiative is built upon a foundation of co-generating knowledge and action across local and national governments, academia, business, and civil society to address the climate crisis at speed and scale. 

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About the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM)

GCoM is the largest global alliance for city climate leadership, uniting a global coalition of over 13,500 cities and local governments and 100+ supporting partners. The cities and partners of GCoM share a long-term vision of supporting voluntary action to combat climate change and towards a resilient and low-emission society. GCoM serves cities and local governments by mobilizing and supporting ambitious, measurable, planned climate and energy action in their communities by working with city/regional networks, national governments, and other partners to achieve our vision. Led today by UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions Michael R. Bloomberg and European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera, the coalition comprises cities across 6 continents and 147 countries, representing over 1 billion people or more than 13 percent of the global population.

To learn more about GCoM, please visit our website, or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.