Launched at COP31, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy's ten-year Impact Report reveals that cities and local governments continue to move faster than national climate commitments.

Cities and local governments are leading global climate ambition, with 58 per cent of Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) signatories (more than 8,000 local authorities) setting more ambitious emissions-reduction targets than their national governments. Another 28 per cent aim to achieve their targets sooner than their national governments.

“Over the last ten years, cities and local governments have proven that when they lead, the world moves to catch up with them. The 2026 GCoM Impact Report is proof that city ambition hasn’t fallen; national commitments have risen. Local governments are the pacesetters for climate and energy action, continuing to go further and faster - forward" said Anne Hidalgo, global ambassador, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.

The report shows how cities are increasingly turning commitments into practical solutions. The number of signatories with net-zero targets and accompanying implementation pathways rose from 211 in 2025 to 580 in 2026, while 3,078 cities have completed climate risk assessments covering approximately 735 million people.

Despite growing ambition, the report warns that financing remains a major obstacle to implementation, particularly in vulnerable regions. Of the $831bn in annual urban climate finance tracked by the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance, barely one per cent is directed towards adaptation.

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