World mayors summit – day 3

Youth & Mayors Forge a Climate Action Powerhouse at the 2025 World Mayors Summit

The global climate fight just got a massive shot of energy! At the 2025 World Mayors Summit, a surge of optimism met concrete commitments, proving that cities and young activists are the dynamic duo driving real-world change.

Youth Action Fund Triples Its Impact

Young people, including inspiring voices from London, Freetown, and Vanuatu, didn’t just attend—they drove the agenda, sharing firsthand accounts of their collaboration with city leaders to deliver powerful climate solutions.

Responding to this incredible momentum, a major announcement electrified the Summit: The Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund, partnered with C40 Cities, is officially tripling its reach!

This expansion will support 300 cities worldwide, empowering even more young people aged 15 to 24 to design and deliver vital climate initiatives in their own backyards.

“We’ll be able to triple the number of cities we reach, triple the number of youth we engage and hopefully, triple our impact.”

Patricia E. Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies

This initiative isn’t just funding; it’s a powerful mandate for cities to meaningfully engage with and invest in the ingenuity of the next generation.

Europe Throws Its Weight Behind City-Led Ambition

The stakes for local climate action escalated dramatically as the European Union officially endorsed CHAMP (Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships).

This is a profound commitment! By embracing CHAMP, the European Commission pledges to continue working with cities and regions, recognizing their absolutely central role in translating global ambition into local implementation.

“Ambitious action requires all hands on deck.”

Teresa Ribera, Vice-President of the European Commission

This collective EU position adds significant momentum for local and subnational actors, providing a powerful tailwind as the world prepares for the crucial COP30 summit in Belém.

The Power of Collaboration: Cities, Business, and Progress

The Summit was a marketplace of innovation at the C40 World Mayors Summit Exhibition. Cities proudly showcased tangible progress from clean energy projects and smart urban design to initiatives tackling air quality. One standout was Breathe Cities, an ambitious initiative actively helping cities worldwide cut both air pollution and climate emissions.

Crucially, the spirit of collaboration extended beyond city halls. Mayors and senior business leaders, convened by C40 Cities and the We Mean Business Coalition, explored how to accelerate climate action ahead of COP30.

The experiences shared by the Mayors of Tshwane and Oslo were crystal clear: partnerships with businesses aren’t optional. They are the proven mechanism for scaling up climate action and driving tangible results right where people live and work.

As C40 mayors from diverse regions met to share solutions for cleaner air, greener jobs, and more affordable cities, the core message was undeniable: we are creating change together. Mayor Sadiq Khan of London and C40 Cities Co-Chair met with North American mayors to strengthen this collective vision for climate leadership, confirming that unified action is the future.

source:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/world-mayors-summit-day-3-c40-cities-climate-leadership-grou-dk0pe