By Alimatu Jalloh
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – November 3, 2025: Freetown has officially joined a pioneering global coalition of cities committed to tackling one of the most lethal consequences of the climate crisis: extreme heat. The announcement was made at the World Mayors Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE joined 33 other city leaders in launching the C40 Cities Cool Cities Accelerator.
The initiative, spearheaded by C40 Cities in partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation and supported by ClimateWorks Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, aims to protect residents and transform urban environments to withstand rising temperatures. Freetown’s participation marks a significant step in the city’s climate resilience strategy and aligns with the United Nations Secretary-General’s global call to action on extreme heat.
Extreme heat is already the deadliest weather-related hazard worldwide, responsible for an estimated 489,000 deaths annually. Without urgent intervention, the number of people exposed to life-threatening urban heat is projected to increase fivefold by 2050.
“Extreme heat is a silent killer and an increasingly urgent global threat,” said Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities. “Cities like Freetown are showing real leadership by taking practical steps to protect communities, safeguard economies, and create more liveable urban environments.”
Freetown’s Commitment: Protect and Transform
As a founding member of the Cool Cities Accelerator, Freetown has committed to a two-pronged strategy:
- Protect Residents (within 2 years):
- Establish clear heat leadership and coordination across city agencies
- Strengthen early warning systems for heatwaves
- Expand access to cooling centers and emergency relief during heat events
- Transform the City (within 5 years):
- Update building codes to ensure safe indoor temperatures
- Increase tree canopy and shaded public spaces
- Future-proof critical infrastructure such as energy and water systems
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr emphasized the importance of both immediate and long-term action:
“The C40 Cool Cities Accelerator ensures cross-agency coordination to provide citywide and long-term solutions. We must protect lives today from extreme heat and transform our cities for a cooler, more resilient future.”
Freetown joins a diverse group of cities representing over 143 million people, including Austin, Boston, Buenos Aires, Nairobi, Phoenix, Singapore, and Paris. The Accelerator provides a science-based framework for cities to share strategies, scale proven solutions, and act faster together than they could alone.
The initiative also supports the COP30 “Beat the Heat” action agenda, a flagship effort to accelerate local responses to extreme heat and promote sustainable urban cooling in collaboration with national governments.
By joining the Accelerator, Freetown is not only addressing a pressing local challenge but also contributing to a global movement to build safer, more equitable, and climate-resilient cities for generations to come.