Mark Watts

Opinion: From fossil fuels to clean energy — the future of port cities As clean energy hubs, port cities can unlock billions in investment, create new green jobs, and deliver cleaner air for millions of people.

For 200+ years, fossil fuels have been at the heart of the global shipping industry.

The 21st century must be a time of change: port cities can unlock billions in investment, create new green jobs, and deliver cleaner air by transforming into clean energy hubs.

From @c40cities.bsky.social & Arup:

Overall, the week showed that while some leaders seek to divide, a strong majority of nations, cities, and communities are determined to accelerate climate action.

⚖️ Justice and inclusivity were front and centre: from Brazil linking protection of the Amazon to jobs and housing, to Europe treating affordable housing as critical infrastructure.

💬 Yet civil society’s visible presence was far smaller than in past years: a challenge as we head into a pivotal COP.

🇨🇳 China set its first absolute emissions reduction target. Modest on paper, but backed by rapid clean energy deployment and a technological lead in 57 of 60 key future industries.

🌎 Nearly 100 world leaders recommitted to stronger climate plans, despite attempts to undermine global collaboration.

🇧🇷 Brazil emerged as a powerful voice, calling for COP30 to move “from negotiation to implementation” and opening up new opportunities for cities to lead.

Last week, I attended the UN NDC Summit during Climate Week NYC, which was an unexpectedly positive week for climate action. My top highlights:

Graphic which reads "Mayor of London / It was predicted to take 193 years to meet legal limits for air pollution in London/ We did it in 9"

I remember being told that it would take 193 years to reach legal limits for nitrogen dioxide.

I decided this was unacceptable.

Thanks to the bold policies we put in place, we've managed to do it in nine years - 184 years earlier than expected.

Climate Week NYC ✅
Next stop 📍 World Mayors Summit and COP30

Turning climate ambitions into real-world action By Mark Watts , Executive Director of C40 Cities and Andy Deacon , Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) Co-Managing Director. The UN Climate Summit, held in New York this week at the ...

Over the past decade, local governments have shown that they can deliver some of the most effective and rapid climate solutions.

Cities are not waiting for international agreements, they are taking action.

@c40cities.bsky.social @mayors4climate.bsky.social

www.linkedin.com/pulse/turnin...

At #ClimateWeekNYC, mayors from around the world proved how cities are stepping up on climate action and standing together to protect the people and places we love.

Great to meet with the @cop30brazil.bsky.social High-Level Champion Dan Ioschpe who has made huge progress on consolidating the the action agenda to ensure it can deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement.

#ClimateWeekNYC

A woman with short hair and glasses, wearing a vibrant blue, red, and yellow patterned jacket, smiles warmly with her arms crossed. She is standing outdoors in front of a large, cracked, golden spherical sculpture.

C40 Cities Co-Chair and Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, implored national governments and financial institutions to match cities’ climate ambition.

Showcasing Freetown’s tree-planting campaign, she called for global action: cities are delivering, now it’s time for the world to back them.

“We are united by a common purpose: to ensure that the energy systems of our cities are not just functional, but transformative, providing reliable power, fostering economic growth, and creating opportunities for every citizen.” - C40 Co-Chair, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr at Climate Week NYC.

Great to see Søren Staugaard Nielsen and Michael Simmelsgaard at Climate Week NYC.

Ramboll's unrestricted funding to @c40cities.bsky.social is an example of great leadership in the sector and a vote of confidence in resilient cities where communities and nature thrive.

At the opening ceremony, COP30 Brazil President André Corrêa do Lago said it best:

“Subnational governments have an amazing role to play in climate action.”

#ClimateWeekNYC

It was a pleasure to spend time with @un-habitat.bsky.social's Anacláudia Rossbach and to also congratulate Sweden for joining the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships & committing to work with their cities, towns, and regions to deliver stronger climate action ahead of COP30.

Brilliant to see my good friend Jader Barbalho Filho, Brazil’s Minister for Cities, who recognises the role cities play in fighting the climate crisis:

“It’s the local leaders who understand the realities of people on the ground.”

It’s great to be in New York for Climate Week NYC.

Mayors are on the ground showing that local leaders are delivering real solutions in the face of rising climate threats.

@annehidalgo.bsky.social, @valplante.bsky.social, @mayorofchicago.bsky.social, @mayorgallego.bsky.social

New York Climate Week is an essential moment for global climate action on the road to COP30.

The work C40 mayors are doing to create green jobs, transition to clean energy, and build liveable cities is proof that climate action is not only possible but politically popular and economically smart.

Great to be marching in London today to Make Polluters Pay

What happened at Urban 20 in Johannesburg?  - C40 Cities From Johannesburg to the world, here’s how cities drove the U20 agenda.   The Urban 20 (U20) Summit concluded on...

The U20 Summit in Johannesburg closed with one clear message: cities are key to a renewed global push for a fairer, climate-safe future for all.

The momentum to empower cities and unlock direct climate finance must move forward into the G20, into COP30, and beyond: c40.me/4gphstr

It was great to meet with Ana Toni today alongside Mayor of Rio de Janeiro @eduardopaesoficial.bsky.social where we discussed COP30 and the critical role of local leaders in helping to drive from negotiation to action.

@cop30brazil.bsky.social

I'm grateful to our brave officers who put themselves on the line to keep Londoners safe this weekend.

The violence towards our officers and the racism we saw has no place in our city. The far-right wants to divide us. They will never succeed.

Underestimating support for climate action limits political decision making, study says Research reveals huge disparity between perceived and actual willingness of public to contribute to fixing climate

Great news: most people back bold climate action.

Research shows that 69% of people said they’d give 1% of their income to tackle climate change but policymakers underestimate this public support, which is holding back ambition.

We can and must do more, now.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Rubio threatens to retaliate against countries that support shipping carbon tax The move comes two months before 108 nations will vote on the emissions fee.

The climate crisis is a shared global responsibility. IMO member states must stand firm against this self-serving obstruction, and ratify the net zero framework.

www.eenews.net/articles/rub...

President Trump’s rejection of the International Maritime Organization's net zero framework isn't a defence of the American people, it's a handout to the fossil fuel industry. His claim that LNG, a fossil fuel, serves the public is misinformation that prioritises corporate profit over public health.

Latitude 2025 Four music-filled days in the idyllic grounds of a Suffolk hall, spent with many of my oldest and dearest friends – Latitude 2025 was, unsurprisingly, a joy-filled experienced. This was a yea…

Having had to miss Glastonbury, I think I enjoyed Latitude Festival even more this year.

Four music-filled days in the idyllic grounds of a Suffolk hall, spent with many of my oldest and dearest friends was, unsurprisingly, a joy-filled experienced.

markontour.com/2025/08/08/l...

The Texas Floods Were Made Worse by Climate Denialism Elected officials must be held accountable, now and in the future, for the lives lost in disasters brought on by increasingly extreme weather.

A powerful piece from @michaelrbloomberg.bsky.social on how denial makes disasters like the recent Texas floods more deadly - and how practical solutions can help us manage the climate crisis.

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

Today, I met with the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Maimunah Mohd Sharif.

We discussed her flagship programmes which are truly impressive, structured and include an inclusive approach to city governance.

It's clear that Kuala Lumpur is taking a serious, strategic approach to tackling the climate crisis.

This year, the C40 World Mayors Summit will kick off the Local Leaders Forum, co-hosted by @bloombergdotorg.bsky.social and @cop30brazil.bsky.social Presidency.

Convened by mayors @london.gov.uk and Rio in Rio de Janeiro, it will place subnational voices at the heart of the COP30 process.