The Cities & Climate Change Science Conference (2018 CitiesIPCC Conference) will take place from 5-7 March 2018, in Edmonton, Canada. The idea for this conference was approved by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in October 2016 and subsequently co-organized by a diverse group of organizations, including UN-Habitat, UN Environment (UNEP), Cities Alliance, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, Future Earth, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). This event is expected to bring together government representatives, academics, researchers, and practitioners in conversation.

The conference comes at a time when cities are increasingly recognized as key actors in climate action, as urban areas house half of the world’s population and use 70% of global energy. It is expected to help inspire new data and research on climate impacts and solutions at the local level, by assessing the current state of academic and practice-based knowledge and identifying key research and knowledge gaps. Discussions during the conference will focus on four themes: cities, climate change and imperatives for action; urban emissions, impacts and vulnerabilities; solutions for the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient cities; and enabling transformative climate action in cities.

The outcomes of the CitesIPCC Conference will inform the upcoming IPCC reports, most notably the Special Report on Cities and Climate Change expected as part of the IPCC’s seventh assessment (AR7) cycle (2023-2028). In this context, the conference aims to generate a global research agenda that gives recognition to the knowledge generated by urban stakeholders, to enhance understanding of the impacts of climate change and possible responses at the urban level, and to better inform climate decision making at the local level.