The Summary for Urban Policymakers of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment report series was launched at cop 27

Building from the Summary for Urban Policymakers of the IPCC’s AR6 Report: From Science Action

Download the consolidated report for SUP Volumes I – III.

The Summary for Urban Policymakers (SUP) series reports launch at COP 27

The opportunity for effective, efficient and rapid action in cities depends on accessible, actionable science at the city scale. The Summary for Urban Policymakers (SUP) initiative responds to this need – bringing together the world’s leading scientists with local government policymakers and businesses to co-generate and advance a scientific evidence base to propel implementation and deepen climate action in cities around the world. The Summary for Urban Policymakers series includes three Reports and a derivative Action Agenda that were launched at COP 27 on 11 November 2022.

The SUP reports are a result of collaborative knowledge co-creation over one year and through a series of regional and global convenings held across the world.

Following the launch of the first three SUP reports (Volumes I-III), the SUP initiative has also released a stand-alone Action Agenda, which captures the key findings from the SUP volumes, but goes beyond the SUP series and the foundational IPCC reports, to include inputs from city and business leaders gathered through a series of regional convenings. Distinct from the official SUP series, which is authored by the scientific community with input from practitioners, the Action Agenda is written from the perspective of city and business leaders and organizations that represent them. It is informed by and grounded in the knowledge derived from the findings of the SUP process, and with the goal of establishing a long-term platform to co-create and scale urban solutions based in science.

Cities are hotspots of global climate emissions and risk, but they are also hubs for innovation, action and resilience.

  • Cities are home to over half the world’s population, generate two-thirds of its economic output, and emit three-fourths of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
  • Urban areas in low- and middle-income countries are expanding and driving the world economy and job creation.
  • Cities are a pivotal opportunity for a rapid transition into a sustainable, low-energy intensity development.
  • Low-carbon, climate-resilient urbanization can limit unsustainable and inequitable development trajectories.
  • Cities can accelerate and deepen climate action towards climate-resilient development in the next few decades.

The opportunity for effective, efficient and rapid action in cities depends on accessible, actionable science at the city scale.

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