Seizing the urban opportunity: How national governments can recover from COVID-19, tackle the climate crisis and secure shared prosperity through cities - Insights from six emerging economies

The Coalition for Urban Transitions releases a new report ‘Seizing the Urban Opportunity’, which provides insights from six emerging economies on how national governments can recover from COVID-19, tackle the climate crisis and secure shared prosperity through cities. Launching as a call to action for national governments ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, it builds on the Coalition’s flagship 2019 report: Climate Emergency, Urban Opportunity.

The report focuses on emerging economies as they face particularly complex challenges which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The six key countries – China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa – produce about a third of global GDP and 41% of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use and make up 42% of the world’s urban population. Consequently, the extent to which these six emerging economies can spur cities to catalyse sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth is crucial not only for their future, but for the entire world as well.

This report, a collaborative effort by more than 36 organisations across five continents brought together by the Coalition for Urban Transitions, is being launched in March 2021 as a call to action ahead of COP26 in Glasgow. Our aim is to provide insights from six emerging economies demonstrating how fostering zero-carbon, resilient and inclusive cities can advance national economic priorities for shared prosperity for all.

The Coalition for Urban Transitions is a global initiative to support national governments in transforming cities to accelerate economic development and tackle dangerous climate change. Collectively, the contributors hope this report will provide the evidence and confidence that national governments need to submit more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions in 2021 and to propel inclusive, zero-carbon cities to the heart of their COVID-19 economic recovery and development strategies.