Urban Nexus Approach: Integrating and Strengthening City Efforts towards National and Local Climate Actions

Key Messages: 

✓ The Asia-Pacific region is the world’s largest emitter of GHGs, and its cities account for a major share of these emissions. Out of the top 10 CO2 emitting cities globally, six are located in the region. Asia-Pacific cities have key roles to play in achieving the 1.5oC/2oC global climate targets.

✓ A total of 45 countries in the Asia-Pacific region submitted their Nationally Determined Contributions, with specific commitments to reduce GHG emissions. To achieve either the 1.5oC or 2oC global targets and NDC targets, mitigation actions must be taken in and by cities.

✓ The urban nexus approach can help urban stakeholders understand sectorial interlinkages and opportunities for selecting and implementing resource-efficient, cost-effective interventions that contribute to GHG mitigation targets and other sustainable development targets.

✓ The urban nexus approach supports cities to become more resilient towards inevitable climate change with regard to preventive technological concepts as well as governance aspects.

✓ To implement the urban nexus approach for achieving NDCs, national climate actions should be developed in tandem with local targets through a bottom-up approach which can ensure synergistic local nexus. ✓ Practical methodologies and MRV frameworks should be developed for systematic accounting of climate change mitigation and adaptation contributions by urban nexus projects in relation to the NDCs.