City Hall's 12th Avenue entrance

Vancouver Joins Global Initiatives to Address Extreme Heat and Build Climate-Resilient Communities

November 4 2025 –

The City of Vancouver is proud to join the C40 Cool Cities Accelerator and the C40 and UN-Habitat's Urban Planning Accelerator . Both initiatives were announced this week at the C40 World Mayors Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

“C40 has been an incredible partner for cities around the world,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim. “Through many of our City’s major initiatives, we’re taking meaningful steps to make Vancouver a greener, safer and more resilient city. We’re proud to work alongside other leading C40 cities to keep pushing this important work forward.”

Cool Cities Accelerator

The C40 Cool Cities Accelerator is a new global coalition of cities taking urgent, coordinated action to tackle one of the most dangerous impacts of the climate crisis: extreme heat. 

Extreme heat is already the deadliest weather-related hazard worldwide, responsible for an estimated 489,000 deaths annually. Without decisive action, 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. “The number of days that major capitals experience temperatures above 35°C has increased 54% over the past twenty years. Cities like Vancouver are showing real leadership by taking practical steps to protect communities, safeguard economies and create more livable urban environments. By aligning with the UN Secretary-General’s call to action on extreme heat, these cities are helping to set a global standard for what bold, collective climate leadership looks like.”

As part of its commitment under the Cool Cities Accelerator, Vancouver will advance actions to:

  • Strengthen early warning systems and expand access to cooling solutions during heat emergencies. 
  • Update building codes, increase shade and tree canopy and future-proof critical infrastructure. 
  • Identify near-term ways to provide indoor cooling for existing buildings that are most at-risk to overheating.

Urban Planning Accelerator 

The Urban Planning Accelerator is a joint initiative by C40 and UN-Habitat aimed at helping cities around the world transition to climate-responsive urban planning model by 2035.

C40 and UN-Habitat will work closely with signatory cities, fostering city-to-city knowledge exchange, documenting best practices, and monitoring progress toward the Accelerator’s targets through consistent follow-up and reporting.

Through the Vancouver Plan and the Vancouver Official Development Plan (ODP), the City is integrating sustainability and climate-responsive design into how Vancouver grows. The Urban Planning Accelerator strengthens these efforts and complements the Vancouver Plan and the ODP’s Three Big Ideas:

  1. Equitable housing and complete neighbourhoods 
  2. An economy that works for all 
  3. Climate protection and restored ecosystems  

The City of Vancouver is implementing the Three Big Ideas through initiatives such as multiplex zoning, the Villages Planning Program and citywide emissions-reduction efforts.

Vancouver joins a diverse group of cities representing over 143 million people, working together to save lives, strengthen resilience and create thriving, affordable, climate-resilient communities for generations to come.