A commentary in @nature.com argues the 1.5°C temperature limit has “outlived its usefulness” because we’re headed towards overshoot and should be replaced by a “clean-energy shift” metric. That’s the wrong diagnosis. Here is why.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
It’s also been amazing to me that 24 hours after a major snowstorm, I could safely run along fully cleared sidewalks. Mamdani’s administration is building a city that is resilient to extreme weather - and offered $30 an hour to any New Yorkers who turned up to help the fire service clear the snow.
We discussed the new administration's climate priorities under Mayor Mamdani - including its clear understanding that tackling affordability means tackling the climate crisis. That means focusing on energy affordability and safe and healthy housing.
Great to meet with New York’s new Chief Climate Officer, Louise Yeung and other colleagues from across the NYC city government.
New York has long been a climate leader. As one of the first members of C40 Cities, it has always set the pace for bold and practical action.
A standout moment at the #WMS25: youth activists declaring, "We do this for our today, we do this for our tomorrow, and we will do this together.”
This new Hot Takes episode from the Cities 1.5 podcast brings the young voices we heard to even more people - an absolute must-listen: lnk.to/HotTakes2
A $10B fraud. 2 whistleblowers. On Cities 1.5, David Miller, Managing Director of the C40 Centre and former Mayor of Toronto, speaks with Lindsay Gulden about exposing Exxon’s fraudulent ways and the disinformation playbook behind it all. https://c40.me/3OwZpHT
How 2 people helped expose a $10B Exxon scandal.
I highly recommend the latest episode of Cities 1.5, where Lindsey Gulden sheds light on how Exxon’s shocking overvaluation was protected by disinformation and silence.
The fossil fuel industry’s culture of deception must be stopped. lnk.to/S6E3
“One city does something and a hundred of us then will take it to scale. I find hope in the fact that cities can make this work” - inspiring words for difficult times from the Mayor of Austin, Kirk Watson, in the latest episode of the Cities 1.5 podcast: lnk.to/S6E2
Privileged to accompany @london.gov.uk to welcome United Nations Secretary General,
Antonio Guterres, to London today. Inspired by his leadership on climate & so much else & motivated by his message that we must up the pressure to shift off polluting fossil fuels
@c40cities.bsky.social @london.gov.uk @sadiqkhanlondon.bsky.social
An image of three men in formal attire standing side-by-side in a modern indoor setting with dark wood paneling. From left to right: Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities, wearing a black suit, grey tie, and a small green lapel pin. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, wearing a dark suit and a red patterned tie. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, wearing a navy blue suit and an open-collared white shirt.
We must end the fossil fuel era.
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, knows this better than anyone. I want to thank him for his steadfast climate leadership and his commitment to phasing out fossil fuels. A pleasure to meet today together with C40 Cities Co-Chair, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
As implementers, city leaders are driven by multilateralism that delivers. We use data to define our goals and work with those who want to set the pace; not wait around for the delayers and wreckers. COPs need to do the same.
What we needed was multiple coalitions of the willing for faster implementation; like the leadership shown by Colombia on the Belém Declaration on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels; and the Action Agenda, which made good progress and should be the focus of COPs going forward.
In part, COP30 failed to adequately move from negotiation to implementation because of a perpetual focus on a lowest common denominator consensus.
My comment on the #COP30 outcome:
Multilateralism needed a boost in Belém, and instead it got a bandage. The COP process needs to take a long, hard look at itself.
As we wait for the official outcome of #COP30, here’s a time capsule of its last day: the outrage, the optimism, the urgency, and the sheer human effort that goes into trying to land a deal.
The latest episode of @outrageoptimism.bsky.social featuring C40’s Eric Garcetti & @mark--watts.bsky.social:
A close-up photo of a bald, middle-aged man with glasses and a salt-and-pepper goatee, wearing a light-colored suit jacket over a white shirt. He is speaking into a handheld black microphone, holding it in his left hand, and gesturing with his right hand, appearing engaged in a discussion or presentation.
🚨BREAKING: C40 Cities reacts to the disappointing draft outcome of #COP30
@mark--watts.bsky.social, C40 Cities Executive Director, on the draft of the Belém Political Package:
“The draft texts we've seen this morning in Belém suggest several parties are trying to leave the global mutirão in ashes.
How are cities and subnational leaders turning negotiation into action? This #COP30 booklet captures the crucial role cities play in tackling the climate crisis, and lays out our COP30 asks. To deliver climate action at the speed required, subnational inclusion at COPs cannot be overlooked.
Let’s make cities and subnationals part of the success story of #COP30. (7/7)
C40 cities account for 23% of world economy. 75% are reducing per capita emissions quicker than their national govts. 73% of member cities for which we have data have already peaked emissions and are rapidly reducing further. These city wins can be global wins for all - with the right support. (6/7)
Supporting subnational climate delivery is a win-win for national governments - our ambition and implementation on the frontlines of the climate crisis can be part of their success. (5/7)
We need this level of recognition and engagement to help ensure mayors and other subnational leaders can go faster and further in delivering the urgent climate action the world needs. To truly make this the COP of implementation. (4/7)
Our mission now in Belém is to secure a formal space for subnationals and national governments to collaboratively accelerate action. Critically, we want this formally recognised in the COP30 outcome - not just part of a broader action agenda, but at the heart of the negotiated outcome itself. (3/7)
From disarming disinformation on the climate crisis frontlines to raising the ambition on fossil fuel phase out; building global collaboration on annual delivery of on-the-ground climate solutions to ensuring climate action is rooted in the just transition, cities are already leading the way. (2/7)
We start the final week of #COP30 with strong momentum behind our push for greater inclusion of cities as key partners in the delivery of these critical climate negotiations.
A thread 👇 (1/7)
A medium close-up shot shows a bald man with a graying beard wearing a pale yellow blazer over a white shirt. He holds a microphone to his mouth with one hand and gestures with the other, appearing to speak at a conference or on a panel.
#Disinformation is a core topic at #COP30. C40's @mark--watts.bsky.social on how mayors are tackling it:
"C40 supports the importance @lulaoficialbluesky.bsky.social has placed on information integrity and tackling disinformation. Cities can play a critical role in making this the ‘COP of Truth’.
In case you missed it: Yesterday, I joined the COP30 Briefing Room and spoke with @projectsyndicate.bsky.social about climate disinformation, how local leaders are driving progress and our yearly offers of action.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NaY...
It’s time to move from promises and negotiations at #COP30 to delivering climate action.
To unlock progress, we should focus on where the decisions are really made: cities.
Read my op-ed in @politico.com with Jader Barbalho Filho, Minister of Cities, Brazil.
www.politico.eu/sponsored-co...
A medium shot of a man with gray hair and a beard, wearing a suit jacket and white shirt, sitting at a conference table. He is speaking into a microphone, and a nameplate in front of him reads "COP PRESIDENT".
A low-angle, outdoor shot of a large, white 3D sign reading "#COP30". The sign sits on a brown base with the text "UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE" and "NOVEMBER 10-21, 2025". The sun is low in the sky, creating a lens flare behind the sign. In the background, people walk on a paved plaza in front of a large, modern building.
🚨BREAKING: #COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago opens COP highlighting the role of cities 🏙️
"Subnational entities play a central role in implementing the decisions made at COPs. To stop climate change, multilateralism is unquestionably the way forward.”
This week, I’m at @cop30brazil.bsky.social in Belém where cities are backing the COP30 Presidency's call in moving from negotiation to implementation.
Here’s what to expect from C40 Cities over the next two weeks ⬇️
