Extreme and unprecedented weather events, severe droughts, floods, and raging wildfires show us, time and again, the devastating impacts of climate change on people. Home to more than half of the world’s population, cities find themselves on the front line of climate change and exposed to extreme climate-related hazards.

Our new report, Protecting People and the Planet, uses the latest data to highlight the hazards cities face from climate change – from the people affected to critical resources under threat – and demonstrates the urgent need for cities to put people at the heart of their climate action.

People-centered climate action unlocks multiple benefits

The overwhelming scale of the climate crisis is clear, and it is growing ever larger. Our latest data comes from the responses of cities to the CDP-ICLEI Track in 2022 and shows that 80% of cities are facing significant climate hazards, from extreme heat to floods, and for almost one in three cities (28%,) these hazards threaten at least 70% of their population. Moreover, a quarter of cities (25%) are facing a high-risk hazard, such as extreme heat, that is expected to increase in intensity and frequency by 2025.

Key findings

• Four out of five cities (80%) report facing significant climate hazards, such as: Extreme heat (46%), heavy rainfall (36%), drought (35%), flooding (33%)

• Almost one in three cities (28%) is facing significant climate hazards that threaten at least 70% of their population

• A quarter of cities (25%) are facing a high-risk hazard — such as extreme heat — that is expected to increase in intensity and frequency by 2025

• Cities have identified vulnerable groups exposed to climate hazards:

  • Elderly

  • Low-income households

  • Children and youth

  • Marginalized and minority communities

  • Vulnerable health groups

• Cities are identifying co-benefits from taking climate action:

  • Public health benefits (eg improved air quality)

  • Social benefits (eg enhanced social inclusion, equality, and justice)

  • Economic benefits (eg job creation)

  • Environmental benefits (eg improved biodiversity)

• 63% of all cities are taking at least one people-centered climate action, where people are considered in assessment, target-setting, planning, or implementation stages

• Cities taking people-centered climate actions identified seven times as many co-benefits from climate actions as other cities (eg better protection for vulnerable people, better water quality)

To see more information about people-centered climate action and read the full report click the link:

https://www.cdp.net/en/research/global-reports/protecting-people-and-the-planet