Arup and Earthshot Prize report highlights 11 proven city-led climate solutions
Report highlights city-led climate solutions
A new report from Arup, supported by The Earthshot Prize, showcases 11 public-sector-led climate solutions aimed at helping cities and regions scale proven approaches. Titled *Champions of Change: How cities and regions are designing a low carbon, climate resilient future*, the report is presented as a practical “greenprint” for mayors, planners and policymakers seeking to deliver low-carbon, climate-resilient development.
The report focuses on innovations across mobility, air quality, waste, restoration and finance. It was shaped with input from a global taskforce of urban experts, including representatives from C40 Cities, the World Bank, ICLEI, the African Centre for Cities and MIT, who curated initiatives and identified strategies for scaling, risk mitigation and adaptation.
The report argues that cities are central to climate action because they house more than 55% of the world’s population, a figure projected to rise to 68% by 2050. Cities also account for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions and consume about three-quarters of global energy, concentrating both the causes and impacts of climate change.
Examples from Bogotá, Oslo, Gujarat and Durban
The report highlights a range of urban initiatives already operating at scale. Examples include Bogotá’s mobility strategy, Oslo’s climate budget and Gujarat’s emissions trading system.
According to the report, Bogotá’s strategy has cut travel times by 20% and reduced air pollution by 24% since 2018. City officials said they expect the programme to avoid more than 300,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year by 2028.
The report also points to Durban’s Transformative Riverine Management Programme, which has removed nearly 58,000 tonnes of solid waste from rivers, as an example of how urban climate action can deliver environmental and social benefits while improving resilience.
Four accelerators for scaling action
The Local Innovation Taskforce, co-convened by Arup and The Earthshot Prize, identified four factors that help cities move from ambition to implementation:
- robust implementation architecture
- innovative financing models
- pathways to scale
- structured replication through playbooks and peer learning
The 16-member group was formed to identify, support and replicate transformative public-sector-led climate solutions. It also nominated initiatives for the 2025 Earthshot Prize, including the State of Gujarat and the City of Guangzhou as finalists in the Clean Our Air category, and the City of Bogotá as the winner.
A guide for replication
The report is designed to move beyond inspiration and provide a practical guide to delivery. Its stated goal is to help urban leaders adapt successful approaches from other cities and turn pilot projects into systemic, city-wide action.
By documenting what has already worked in different regions, the report seeks to offer a handbook for cities aiming to accelerate climate action while delivering measurable social, economic and environmental benefits.