Climate Investment Planning guidance

Key messages

• Viable Cities’ mission is “Climate neutral cities 2030 with a good life for all within planetary boundaries”. Its central tool, the climate city contract, consists of a commitment to climate neutrality and a climate action and investment plan to bring together municipalities, business, academia, and civil society around this climate neutrality goal.
• For a city to become climate neutral, assets owned by different actors in the city will need to be replaced, refurbished and upgraded, requiring substantial amounts of funding. Collaboration between all actors within the city is necessary to align on the climate neutrality goal, design and
  implement the plans that support the goal, and pool the funding to convert assets.
• A climate action and investment plan is the result of an iterative and interactive process in the city, linking the city’s goals and plans with the ability and willingness of different actors within the city. It lays out how the capital needed for investments will be generated to support and implement the climate action plans.
• Redirecting certain public and civic capital from current business towards climate action could provide municipalities with substantial funding. If the positive and negative co-impacts of climate action in cities are well understood, it could aid in rallying support for the climate action plan, including financial support.