The IPCC’s 2018 Special Report warns of dramatic consequences by 2040 if global warming reaches 1.5°C. In response, citizens have made their voices louder than ever, and national governments in turn are beginning to mobilize. The constant threat of climate change, plus shifting energy needs and accelerating technological innovations, demands an unprecedented collective response at the global, national and local level.

Mission Innovation, an initiative of 24 countries and the European Union working to accelerate clean energy initiatives, recently partnered with the Global Covenant of Mayors – an alliance of over 10,000 cities worldwide – to identify, pilot and scale innovations and steer budgets toward clean energy. For the first time, a visionary group of national and local governments has agreed to work together on a focused, feasible and scalable blueprint of city climate action. Here, mayors and ministers highlight the actions they’re currently taking at the nexus of innovation, data and finance, and the concrete next steps they can take – together.