New wave of cities from Global South among 122 climate action leaders on CDP's 2022 A List

• New wave of Global South countries on A List for first time - from India to Cameroon to Peru
• Middle Eastern cities make debut on A List
• First time over 1,000 cities are scored for climate action by CDP
• Close to half of cities (42%) are new to A List
• 19 A List cities in the UK - almost double the number in 2021
• A List cities report more than 3x as many mitigation and adaptation actions as non-A List cities

London, 17^th November 2022: 122 cities across the globe have been named as leaders in environmental action and transparency in 2022 by CDP. For the first time, this includes cities from several countries in the Global South - often among those most affected by the impact of climate change - as Egypt hosts COP27.

The fifth annual cities A List published by CDP - the non-profit which runs the world’s environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions - recognises cities that have received the highest score for their transparency and bold action to mitigate and adapt to climate change. With recent CDP data showing 80% of cities face climate hazards, from drought to floods, which are expected to be more intense and frequent by 2025 for 25% of cities, the need for strong climate action is urgent.

Growing momentum in disclosure and action is clearly building. This year, for the first time, over 1,000 cities were scored by CDP (1,002 in total), with just over one in ten cities (12%) scoring an A. Moreover, close to half of all cities (42%) are new to the A List.

Spanning every continent, cities on the 2022 A List include London (UK), Paris (France), San Francisco (USA), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Cape Town (South Africa), Seoul (South Korea) and Melbourne (Australia).

For the very first time, India - the world’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gases - has a city (Mumbai) on the A List. In a sign that serious and meaningful climate action is being taken right across the globe, cities from other Global South nations have also made it onto the A List for the first time. Cities in Peru (Lima), Ecuador (Quito) and Cameroon (Yaoundé IV^th Commune) receive their first A, whilst the Middle East also sees its first A List cities (Amman in Jordan and Kadıköy in Turkey). Meanwhile, Brazil, Chile and the Philippines have returned cities to the A List for the first time since 2020.

North America accounts for the largest share of cities (49) on the 2022 A List. The USA has the most A List cities of any one country (36), from Austin to New York - a city that has not been on the A List since 2019. Europe (with the Middle East) is the continent with the next highest number of cities (42) on the A List, followed by Asia (14), Latin America (8), Oceania (7) and Africa (2).

The UK nearly doubled the number of cities on the A List compared to 2021 (from 11 cities in 2021 to 19 cities this year). Northern Ireland gained its first A List city (Belfast) while 9 other new city authorities join the A List - Dundee, Enfield, Essex, Leeds, Richmond, Swale, Wandsworth, West Midlands and York.

Maia Kutner, CDP Global Director of Cities, States and Regions, said:

“COP27 has made clear a total transformation of climate action is needed if the world is to remain anywhere near close to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Action speaks louder than anything else, so at a time when the climate crisis can seem all consuming, we are delighted to celebrate some good news.

“122 cities from every corner of the world are stepping up to lead in the fight against climate change through meaningful, tangible and effective action. This new wave of climate leaders includes a growing number of Global South cities in countries that are on the front line of climate change - many of which, from India to Cameroon, are on the A List for the first time.

“The world, and its cities, need to go much further and faster in stepping up that action. Reporting environmental data is the first, crucial step to acting, as what gets measured, gets managed. This year's A List shows the growing momentum in cities reporting their data and we hope that many more will join them in protecting our planet for future generations.”

City climate leadership in action

A List cities are demonstrating their climate leadership through concerted and effective action, just as national governments were asked to do at COP27. They report taking more than three times as many mitigation and adaptation measures as non-A List cities. For example:

• The IV^th Commune of Yaoundé is creating 65 photovoltaic solar terminals for public use in Cameroon’s capital. It is also training people how to use them, alongside wider energy efficiency awareness programmes
• New York City’s °CoolRoofs programme helps cool the city’s rooftops by applying a reflective surface to a roof, reducing cooling costs, cutting energy use and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. 6 million square feet of roofs have been coated
• London’s Retrofit Accelerator - Workplaces (RE:FIT) programme has already supported the retrofit of over 800 public sector buildings in London, such as schools and hospitals, saving almost 38,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ each year
• 95% of the nearly 120,000 streetlights in Amman, have been replaced with energy efficient LED lights
• Belfast is implementing its One Million Trees Programme, with 40,000 trees having been planted in the first year
• Biowaste collection points have been installed across Athens so people can compost. Between 2020 and 2021, compost collection rose by 55% and the programme should see an estimated reduction of 185,000 MtCO2e in the long-term
• The risk of river flooding in Dipolog City is being reduced by planting 78,302 bamboos along the riverbanks of the Filipino city
• Lima regularly turns one of the Peruvian capital’s main streets, Avenida Arequipa, into a cycleway and public space to promote healthy living and sustainable transport. It aims to do this 52 times, or once a week on average, a year
• Canberra is supporting the city’s businesses and community organisations transition their transport fleets to zero emission vehicles. 50 public charging stations are being built and zero-interest loans are available for purchasing the vehicles
• As part of the City Reforestation Programme, Rio de Janeiro is carrying out 380 hectares of new reforestation by 2024. This is on top of the recovery of 3,000 hectares of degraded areas already achieved.

View data on climate action reported by 2022 A List cities here. Visit CDP's Open Data Portal for more data on climate action in cities, states and regions.