Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Freetown Mayor and C40 Co-Chair, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, opened the first day of the C40 World Mayors Summit in Rio de Janeiro on 3 November 2025, calling for inclusive climate action, equity, and stronger city leadership in addressing the global climate crisis.
During the C40 Steering Committee Meeting, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr celebrated two decades of collaboration among C40 cities and presented Freetown’s Yearly Offer of Action, outlining the city’s priorities for 2026, including measures to protect vulnerable residents from extreme heat.
In sessions with funders and global mayors, she emphasized the urgent need for equitable climate financing for cities in the Global South, highlighting C40’s support for initiatives such as Freetown’s Cable Car Project.
“Cities are on the frontlines of climate change, facing flooding, rising heat, and threats to residents’ health and livelihoods. Yet, cities also hold the key to scalable solutions,” she stated.
At the Climate Finance Dialogue, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr urged development banks to move beyond project-by-project lending, advocating for city-scale, programmatic investments supported by strong data and local capacity.
She also spoke at an Urban Water Resilience session on the theme “Adapting Cities to a Changing Climate.” Earlier, she announced the C40 Cool Cities Accelerator, a global initiative designed to equip mayors with practical tools to tackle extreme heat and strengthen urban resilience. The Accelerator supports cities in aligning their actions with global climate frameworks, including CHAMP and Beat the Heat, a key priority of the COP30 Presidency.
For More News And Analysis About Sierra-Leone Follow Africa-Press
