COP31 leaders to tackle the gap between urban climate commitments and action

Antalya, Türkiye, 6 November 2026 — As governments raise their climate ambitions, cities face a widening gap between commitments and the investment needed to protect people, homes and essential services from climate risks. Despite growing recognition of the role of cities in national climate plans, turning commitments into action remains a major challenge.

Against this backdrop, the COP31 Presidency of Türkiye and UN-Habitat will convene the High-Level Dialogue on Urban Resilience, Adaptation and Climate Action on 12 November during the COP31 World Leaders’ Summit in Antalya. Bringing together Heads of State and Government, local leaders, international organizations and financing institutions, the dialogue will examine how national climate and adaptation priorities can translate into practical investments in cities and human settlements.

There is growing recognition of the role cities must play in climate action. UN-Habitat analysis found that 80 per cent of 142 national climate plans contain well-developed urban components, while the urban content of the latest generation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is unprecedented. Yet the scale of commitments has not been matched by the resources needed to deliver them.

Cities require around USD 4.5 trillion in climate investment annually through 2030. Current urban climate finance flows amount to approximately USD 831 billion a year, covering only about one-fifth of estimated needs. Gaps in financing, governance and institutional capacity continue to stand in the way of implementation at scale.

Bridging this divide means connecting national climate strategies with local priorities and the investments needed on the ground. It also means strengthening cooperation between national and local governments and helping cities develop projects that can attract financing.

Turning plans into urban investment

The first leaders’ dialogue will examine how countries can put National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and NDCs into practice, embedding adaptation priorities in national development strategies, sectoral policies and public investment decisions. Financing, institutional capacity and international cooperation will be central to this discussion.

A particular challenge is moving from project ideas to investments that can be financed and implemented. Partnerships between governments, financial institutions, development partners and technical experts can help cities prepare viable urban resilience projects. Türkiye’s Sustainable Urban Resilience Financing Facility (SURFF) will be presented as one example of an approach to supporting this process.

Building cities that can withstand climate shocks

The second dialogue will turn to what climate resilience means for cities and the people who live in them. From resilient infrastructure and adequate, affordable housing to informal settlement upgrading, sustainable urban regeneration and post-disaster reconstruction, the discussion will consider how urban development can better anticipate and withstand climate risks.

The dialogue builds on the legacy of Habitat II, held in Istanbul in 1996, and four Ministerial Meetings on Urbanization and Climate Change convened since COP27. It also draws on the Declaration on Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Cities, adopted in Hatay in May 2026; Türkiye’s reconstruction experience following the February 2023 earthquakes; the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum in Baku; and the urban roadmap towards COP31.

Event details

Date: Thursday, 12 November 2026

Time: 1:30–5 p.m.

Venue: Plenary Hall 2 (Akdeniz), COP31, Antalya, Türkiye

Cover photo: A participant reviews documents at the COP30 venue in Belém, Brazil. © UN Climate Change/Diego Herculano

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