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Sustainable Cities

As the world increasingly urbanizes, cities must be at the forefront of global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and climate change risks. Cities not only account for 70% of global CO2 emissions from energy use, they are also at the forefront of climate change vulnerability, with a majority already experiencing harmful impacts to their citizens and infrastructure as a result of extreme weather events. To address this, trillions of dollars in finance for climate action in cities is needed – highlighting a significant investment gap in urban climate solutions.

CPI is Secretariat for the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA), the only multi- level and multi-stakeholder coalition aimed at closing the investment gap for urban subnational climate projects and infrastructure worldwide. CCFLA provides a platform to convene and exchange knowledge among all relevant actors dedicated to urban climate action. It also publishes research encompassing key topics including the state of cities climate finance, scaling finance for zero carbon buildings, and urban adaptation finance.

Latest work

Publication

Clean Economy Fund

The Clean Economy Fund (CEF) is a USD 75 million structured equity fund that invests in first-of-a-kind climate technologies.

Blog

Six Reasons Why Urban Adaptation Finance Is Falling Short in the Global South

Cities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. While the need for urban adaptation is growing, funding remains alarmingly low. This blog from CCFLA reveals why finance isn’t flowing—and what can be done to close the gap.

Blog

Integrating Urban Priorities into Country Platforms: Scaling Climate Finance through Multi-Level Collaboration

Summary of the CCFLA and SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance session at the 2025 World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, which explored how country platforms—key tools for scaling climate finance—can more effectively embed urban priorities and support city-level climate action.

Blog

Gendered Impacts of Urban Climate Finance

As cities expand and climate risks intensify, women—who are disproportionately affected yet often excluded from decision-making—must be at the center of urban climate finance. This blog explores how gender disparities weaken climate responses and why integrating women’s leadership, knowledge, and ac...

Publication

Integrating Urban and Subnational Priorities into Country Platforms

This policy brief presents a framework for urban-inclusive country platforms, aiming to support national governments in systematically integrating urban and subnational needs into the design, governance, financing, and implementation of country platforms.

Publication

CCFLA Urban Adaptation and Resilience Finance Workstream Scoping Paper

This scoping paper informs CCFLA’s new Urban A&R Finance Workstream by identifying key challenges, mapping member activities, highlighting gaps, and offering recommendations for collective action.
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