9 July 2013: The UNFCCC Secretariat has released the 2012 report on the Momentum for Change Initiative. The report features nine experiences that address climate change while improving livelihoods and living conditions in developing countries’ urban areas.

The nine “lighthouse activities” described in the report were competitively selected by an international panel of experts in 2012. They are public-private partnerships that, according to the initiative’s selection criteria, bring environmental and social benefits to the urban poor. Moreover, each experience shows innovation, scalability and potential for long-term transformative change. Examples of these activities include projects on: sustainable public transport in China, India and Sri Lanka; mitigation projects in Peru, Nepal and Uganda; and strategies for building climate resilience in Kenya, Senegal and Namibia.

The Urban Poor pillar of Momentum for Change, which was launched in December 2011, is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Momentum for Change aims at inspiring and catalyzing accelerated action on climate change by giving visibility to climate actions that are already achieving a tangible impact on the ground. [Momentum for Change Website] [Publication: Momentum for Change in 2012]