The input of cities is needed for the universal climate change agreement, which is currently being drafted, to be effective, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change executive secretary Christiana Figueres said on Wednesday at the C40 Summit, in Johannesburg.

Addressing delegates in Sandton, she said participating in the drafting of this agreement, which was set to be finalised at the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris, France, in 2015, would also be in the best interest of cities, as an effective agreement would open the door not only to the global reduction of emissions, but also to shorter-term gains with direct quality-of-life dividends for residents in the cities.

“A strong international agreement that is vertically integrated with city- and some national-policy measures is in everyone’s best interest,” Figueres said. 

She further suggested three ways in which cities could collaborate with national governments.

Firstly, cities should use the "metrics of the global conversation", Figueres said.

“For example, as you improve transportation, cities can set clean energy targets that are recognisable to the international process and that monitor progress through meeting those targets,” she explained, stating that this could bring cities into the national conversation.

Figueres also said cities could “green” their current finance by considering value not only based on cost but also on the principle of low carbon and high resilience.

“[If this was done] supply chains of city services could become more resilient and less susceptible to market instability,” she said.

Figueres, thirdly, encouraged cities to open their doors to commercial investment and private funding to assist them in implementing environmental initiatives.

However, she stated that climate change could not be the only, or even primary, reason for cities to implement carbon reduction measures.

“Governments have an increasing number of competitive goals and challenges, and city governments can only pursue those if they [simultaneously] advance several agendas,” Figueres said. 

Cities could, through improving transportation, upgrading homes and buildings and pursuing smart infrastructure, make cities more livable, while simultaneously reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, she explained, adding that an increasing number of mayors were, in fact, realising that they could best pursue short-term solutions in the context of long-term challenges.