Funding Climate Adaptation in Cities: From Ambition to Action

How can cities overcome financial, political, and institutional barriers to build more resilient, liveable futures? Cities are on the frontlines of climate change. Record-breaking temperatures, increasingly frequent extreme weather events, and growing pressure on urban ecosystems are putting both nature and residents’ well-being at risk. While the urgency of climate adaptation is widely recognised and ambitious climate commitments have been made, turning these ambitions into concrete action remains a major challenge. Limited funding, fragmented governance, and competing priorities often slow down the implementation of much-needed solutions. In this conversation, Ashoka Fellow and environmentalist Ignace Schops and Ashoka staff member and urbanist Yannick Fischer will explore what it takes to bridge the gap between climate ambition and implementation. Drawing on their respective experiences, they will discuss the financial, political, and institutional barriers to urban climate action—and how cities can overcome them to build more resilient, liveable futures. €5 to be paid in CASH at the entrance *includes a drink after the event