COP25

Highlights at COP25 - 2 to 13 December in Madrid, Spain

• Equity

  Equity has emerged in recent years as an increasingly important aspect, and is indeed expected to shape various discussions, from gender day on 10 December to circular development sessions and inclusive climate action. Inputs on equity elements and inclusive approaches will likely arise from frontrunners cities members of the Urban Transitions Alliance, a city network and knowledge-exchange hub of innovative urban transition policies and projects.

• Transport

  Transport will have a dedicated full day (5 December), as well as additional sessions, aiming to raise its prominence in the UNFCCC agenda and include a Ministerial-level transport at COP26. Led by ICLEI partner SLoCaT, this topic will benefit from input from Rosario (Brazil), the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley (Colombia) and Taoyuan (Chinese Taipei), members of the low-carbon freight project EcoLogistics.

• Finance

  remains a core focus of this COP. In particular, this year’s objective is to fully operationalize the Paris Agreements through Article 6 (international cooperation for implementing NDCs), making climate action more accessible and beneficial for cities through direct international cooperation, market and non-market-based approaches.

• Circular development for climate action

  Circular development for climate action, through the example of frontrunner ICLEI Member Turku, will shape the development lens towards a more efficient use of resources and an improved, circular life of materials, products and buildings. This topic is expected to influence and shape both dedicated sessions, such as the circular economy roundtable, and related ones, such as decarbonization and SDGs localization.

• Resilience, renewable energy and vertical integration

  Resilience, renewable energy and vertical integration will steer several events of this COP, in particular the Human Settlement Action Event on 7 December. Key priorities of the Chilean Presidency, resilience and climate change adaptation can complement and enhance NDCs’ effectiveness, while renewable energy will drive forward the Paris Agreement’s targets of climate neutrality and emissions reduction towards limiting rising temperatures.