New and existing city forums, networks, and alliances should be strengthened and expanded, as part of a multilevel, highly networked form of global climate governance, to accelerate the delivery of appropriate sustainable and resilient solutions at local, regional, and global scales. The importance of effective multilevel governance, as emphasized in the 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda, should be reflected in cities and regions having seats at COPs and other key climate negotiations. New rules or frameworks that could enhance feedback loops and ensure close collaboration between local, national, regional, and international levels could be developed so that all levels are optimized.
Proposed at the Earthna Summit 2023, the Arid Cities Network (ACN) is a city-level partnership and community of practice to accelerate the delivery of sustainable and resilient solutions at the regional and/ or global scales for hot and arid cities, which are currently underrepresented in other city networks. By April 2024, the initiation phase of the ACN project is expected to be completed, which involves the first steps of international research, national stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and thought leadership. Important forums for the ACN include the UN-Habitat Assembly in June 2024, and the World Urban Forum 12 in November 2024.