Why cities move faster on sustainability than national governments

(Dec. 2024) Foot-dragging and political obstacles can make international climate negotiations pretty slow going.

But closer ties between leaders and citizens tend to accelerate progress at the city level, says Professor Mohan Munasinghe, Former Vice Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

“Mayors, community leaders, and others are much more in touch with their people,” he told Huawei Editor-in-Chief Gavin Allen while speaking with Transform Talks. “They know their needs; they know which buttons to press to get things done. And, if they are visionary enough, they can convince the people to find solutions.”

Prof. Munasinghe concedes that progress towards managing climate change remains frustratingly slow.

This may be because some still are not sold on the benefits of sustainability. “We have to convince them,” says the Professor. “If you talk about a clean environment, a livable city, a social and culturally balanced city, which also has economic opportunities, you create a vision. And then you say, ‘By the way, digital technology can help you achieve all of these things.’”

It is the job of the city mayor, community leaders, and others to lead the way.

And there is always the so-called demonstration effect. “You can start with certain key cities, which are role models, and the other cities will say, ‘Hey, they did that. Why don't we do it, too?’”