By John Baimba Sesay, Senior Comms Manager, C40 Cities Co-Chair Office
New York, September 25, 2025: Freetown Mayor and C40 Cities Co-Chair, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, concluded a series of high-profile engagements at UN Climate Week in New York, spotlighting the pivotal role cities play in advancing global climate solutions.
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr began the week at the Women Leaders Network gathering, hosted by the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN. She joined a distinguished panel of global changemakers, including former Presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Mary Robinson of Ireland, Deputy UN Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Ireland’s Minister of State Neale Richmond.
In the High-Level Solutions Dialogue on Early Warning and Extreme Heat Solutions, convened by the UN Special Adviser on Climate Action, Aki-Sawyerr addressed the escalating threat of extreme heat in urban environments. She voiced strong support for C40’s upcoming Cool Cities Accelerator, advocating for integrated planning that links climate risk, urban development, and social protection.
Delivering the keynote at Hub Live’s “From Volatile to Viable – The New Playbook for Energy Security,” the mayor emphasized the importance of energy transitions and urban resilience. She later participated in the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Dialogue on Credible Transition Planning for Net Zero, where she highlighted that 80% of C40 cities have surpassed their national governments in emissions reductions. She urged for greater access to climate finance and innovative instruments like green bonds, noting that empowered urban action could bridge up to 40% of the global emissions gap.
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr also contributed to panels on locally led climate and health initiatives and joined a fireside chat titled “Climate Solutions That Are Not Boring,” which explored storytelling as a tool for climate engagement. Her presence at the UN Special High-Level Summit on Climate Action further amplified the call for bold new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP30.
Her dynamic participation throughout the week reaffirmed her commitment—and that of C40 Cities—to placing urban centers at the heart of climate action. She championed financial empowerment, innovation, and decisive leadership to keep the 1.5°C global warming threshold within reach.