All eyes were on Quito, Ecuador last week as national leaders, local and regional authorities, civil society, community groups and urban planners adopted the New Urban Agenda at the UN Habitat III conference, which sets the framework for sustainable urban growth for the next 20 years. But just one week before, city actors also attended the 5th UCLG World Congress in Bogotá, Colombia to discuss climate change and sustainable development.

Mayors from cities all over the world played a decisive role at both meetings to turn plans into action. While in Bogotá, they shared personal testimonials on the threats they face in their own cities from climate change and they steps they are taking to enhance mitigation or boost resiliency, writes the Compact of Mayors. 

And in Quito, mayors showed that their on-the-ground experience is key to transforming national plans into action. As the Covenant of Mayors explains: “While national delegations were tasked with both defining what cities of the future should look like and how they will be shaped to get there, throughout the negotiating process, it was clear that mayors were the ones with the answers.”

With their ability to respond to global challenges on a practical, local scale, cities will play a key role in implementing these agendas, strategies and agreements on climate change.