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Mark Watts

@mark--watts.bsky.social
282 followers 64 following 162 posts

Executive Director at C40 Cities | TIME100 climate leader | All views my own | He/him | Talks about climate 🌱, music 🎸 mountain running ⛰️ markontour.com

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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
This was one of those rare meetings when you know every single participant is going to go away and actually do something. And, of course, this is not just about tools and tech, it’s about building trust, raising awareness, and ultimately saving people’s lives.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
And we then heard from an amazing range of partners what they can do to help, from analytical tools to mobilising practical help on the ground.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
All three mayors spoke passionately about the vital role early warning systems have to play, underpinned by the sobering statistic that countries with limited systems suffer nearly six times more disaster-related deaths than those with comprehensive arrangements in place.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Today, C40 Cities, Harvard's Salata Institute and the Atlantic Council convened Paris, Jakarta, Freetown, and partners from across the health, insurance, community, humanitarian, philanthropy and research sectors to organise the immediate, collective action needed to save lives.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
We know enough. The task now is aligning science, finance, and policy to deliver climate action where resilience is truly built: in our cities.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
A personal reflection from Singapore stood out: long-term 15-year planning, continuously adapted, alongside a strong focus on developing workforce skills for the next phase of the economy. The pace of green development on the island nation is remarkable and offers lessons for cities everywhere.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
With investors and policymakers, we focused on a persistent challenge: why capital still isn’t flowing into cities at the scale or speed required, and what exactly needs to change.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
With @ipcc.bsky.social scientists and city leaders, we discussed how the latest IPCC cities report serves as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to translate science-backed climate evidence into real-world decisions that can benefit millions of people.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Resilience was the clear theme at the recent World Cities Summit I attended in Singapore 👇 One message stood out: urban nature is not a luxury – it is essential infrastructure for building liveable, resilient cities.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
This morning, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne @nicholasreece.bsky.social & I spoke with @news.abc.net.au to discuss how cities around the world dealing with extreme heat and flooding. I’m looking forward to sharing more insights on how Sydney and Melbourne are protecting the people and places we love.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
We spoke about how cities and other subnational leaders must be at the forefront of climate talks. On the frontline of the climate crisis, mayors and other local leaders are accepting accountability, showing collaborative leadership and delivering tangible action.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
This week I’m in Australia, visiting the two C40 member cities: Sydney and Melbourne. I joined Lord Mayor @nicholasreece.bsky.social, Cathy Oke, and Jess Miller to discuss the role of cities in shaping the COP31 agenda as Australia prepares to take on the presidency of the climate negotiations.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
In cities, resilience and nature can go hand in hand. Beijing transformed a former industrial site into a lush space that absorbs rainwater, reduces flood risk, and allows wildlife to thrive. Places like City Central Green Forest Park show what’s possible.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
It’s amazing what the shift to renewables can look like. A theme park, a transport hub, and a library – all powered by clean energy. In Beijing, the transition is visible and practical, powering the places people use every day.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
The best climate solutions do several things at once. At Shanghai's Luojing Port, ships plug in instead of burning fuel, cutting noise & cleaning the air for workers & nearby communities. The shift also helps push global shipping towards greener operations. That's the power of city climate action.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Beijing has cut PM2.5 pollution by nearly 70% since 2013, and you can feel and see the difference. More people outdoors, more cycling and running, more green spaces. Climate action woven into everyday life looks just like this.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Heidi Sørensen, who passed away on 25 April after living with cancer for years, was a pioneer in the global climate movement. At C40 Cities, we remember Heidi as a tenacious innovator who proved that cities must lead the way in solving the climate crisis.
A medium shot of a smiling woman with long auburn hair and freckles, standing outdoors. She is wearing a rust-coloured, patterned dress paired with a matching cropped cardigan that has silver buttons. The background is a soft-focus view of a tree-lined walkway.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
It’s also been amazing to me that 24 hours after a major snowstorm, I could safely run along fully cleared sidewalks. Mamdani’s administration is building a city that is resilient to extreme weather - and offered $30 an hour to any New Yorkers who turned up to help the fire service clear the snow.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
We discussed the new administration's climate priorities under Mayor Mamdani - including its clear understanding that tackling affordability means tackling the climate crisis. That means focusing on energy affordability and safe and healthy housing.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Great to meet with New York’s new Chief Climate Officer, Louise Yeung and other colleagues from across the NYC city government. New York has long been a climate leader. As one of the first members of C40 Cities, it has always set the pace for bold and practical action.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
A standout moment at the #WMS25: youth activists declaring, "We do this for our today, we do this for our tomorrow, and we will do this together.” This new Hot Takes episode from the Cities 1.5 podcast brings the young voices we heard to even more people - an absolute must-listen: lnk.to/HotTakes2
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
How 2 people helped expose a $10B Exxon scandal. I highly recommend the latest episode of Cities 1.5, where Lindsey Gulden sheds light on how Exxon’s shocking overvaluation was protected by disinformation and silence. The fossil fuel industry’s culture of deception must be stopped. lnk.to/S6E3
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
“One city does something and a hundred of us then will take it to scale. I find hope in the fact that cities can make this work” - inspiring words for difficult times from the Mayor of Austin, Kirk Watson, in the latest episode of the Cities 1.5 podcast: lnk.to/S6E2
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Privileged to accompany @london.gov.uk to welcome United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, to London today. Inspired by his leadership on climate & so much else & motivated by his message that we must up the pressure to shift off polluting fossil fuels
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
We must end the fossil fuel era. UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, knows this better than anyone. I want to thank him for his steadfast climate leadership and his commitment to phasing out fossil fuels. A pleasure to meet today together with C40 Cities Co-Chair, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
An image of three men in formal attire standing side-by-side in a modern indoor setting with dark wood paneling.

From left to right:

Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities, wearing a black suit, grey tie, and a small green lapel pin.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, wearing a dark suit and a red patterned tie.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, wearing a navy blue suit and an open-collared white shirt.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
How are cities and subnational leaders turning negotiation into action? This #COP30 booklet captures the crucial role cities play in tackling the climate crisis, and lays out our COP30 asks. To deliver climate action at the speed required, subnational inclusion at COPs cannot be overlooked.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
This week, I’m at @cop30brazil.bsky.social in Belém where cities are backing the COP30 Presidency's call in moving from negotiation to implementation. Here’s what to expect from C40 Cities over the next two weeks ⬇️
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
We were lucky to host many European mayors at #WMS25, part of the Local Leaders Forum, as well as @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu, who made the CHAMP announcement at the Local Climate Action Summit here in Rio today.
A large group of people poses for a photo outdoors on a wooden deck, standing in front of trees and a large, colorful art installation.A woman with glasses, identified as Teresa Ribera by a lower-third graphic, speaks at a lectern. The stage backdrop includes logos for the "Local Climate Action Summit," "COP30 BRASIL AMAZÔNIA," and "Bloomberg Philanthropies."
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Brazil's biggest newspaper @oglobo.globo.com ran a series of articles on Cities of the Future - and the one just published features Rio, one of the finalists for the Local Leaders Climate Awards 2025, which will be presented later today. Good luck!
A photograph of an article in the Cities of the Future series published in O Globo, featuring Rio de Janeiro and its development of an Extreme Heat Response Protocol to address rising temperatures. The image is of the full-page piece in the print edition in Portuguese.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
The World Mayors Summit 2025 opened with a powerful call: move negotiation to implementation. 20 years ago, a small group of forward-thinking mayors created this organisation because they feared no one else would act.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
time.com/collections/...
a screenshot of the TIME magazine page featuring Maoyor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes on the TIME100 Climate 2025 list
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
Great to meet with the @cop30brazil.bsky.social High-Level Champion Dan Ioschpe who has made huge progress on consolidating the the action agenda to ensure it can deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement. #ClimateWeekNYC
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
“We are united by a common purpose: to ensure that the energy systems of our cities are not just functional, but transformative, providing reliable power, fostering economic growth, and creating opportunities for every citizen.” - C40 Co-Chair, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr at Climate Week NYC.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
At the opening ceremony, COP30 Brazil President André Corrêa do Lago said it best: “Subnational governments have an amazing role to play in climate action.” #ClimateWeekNYC
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
It was a pleasure to spend time with @un-habitat.bsky.social's Anacláudia Rossbach and to also congratulate Sweden for joining the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships & committing to work with their cities, towns, and regions to deliver stronger climate action ahead of COP30.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
Brilliant to see my good friend Jader Barbalho Filho, Brazil’s Minister for Cities, who recognises the role cities play in fighting the climate crisis: “It’s the local leaders who understand the realities of people on the ground.”
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
It’s great to be in New York for Climate Week NYC. Mayors are on the ground showing that local leaders are delivering real solutions in the face of rising climate threats. @annehidalgo.bsky.social, @valplante.bsky.social, @mayorofchicago.bsky.social, @mayorgallego.bsky.social
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Great to be marching in London today to Make Polluters Pay
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
It was great to meet with Ana Toni today alongside Mayor of Rio de Janeiro @eduardopaesoficial.bsky.social where we discussed COP30 and the critical role of local leaders in helping to drive from negotiation to action. @cop30brazil.bsky.social
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
Today, I met with the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Maimunah Mohd Sharif. We discussed her flagship programmes which are truly impressive, structured and include an inclusive approach to city governance. It's clear that Kuala Lumpur is taking a serious, strategic approach to tackling the climate crisis.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Yesterday at #LCAW25, I was delighted to sign a new strategic partnership between C40 Cities and the Centre for Liveable Cities. CLC is at the cutting edge of innovative urban development. This partnership will support city leaders in advancing people-centred, climate-resilient urban policies.
Three people stand smiling indoors, with two men in suits holding open a signed agreement folder each. The woman on the left wears a black and white striped dress. The men in the center and right wear suits with red and blue ties respectively.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
Today, I visited "From Paris to Belém, 10 Years of Urban Transformations" - a fantastic exhibition showcasing how mayors are improving lives through cleaner air and more accessible public spaces. From Stockholm to Seoul, cities are leading the way in driving down emissions & boosting resilience.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
As C40 Co-Chair @london.gov.uk @sadiqkhanlondon.bsky.social said today: “Success will be measured not only in degrees and decimal places but in homes spared, lives saved and communities protected.” #LCAW25 #ParisAgreement
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
Mayor Paes said in his speech: multilateralism is the surest way to tackle climate crisis. As we look towards COP30 and the decade of implementation, C40 cities are ready to work with national governments to scale up action through successful multi level partnerships.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
I was privileged to be part of the historic gathering of city leaders that Mayor @annehidalgo.bsky.social convened in Paris Hotel de Ville alongside it. Today, mayors from around the world gathered to reflect on a decade of locally-led climate action, and what needs to happen next.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
Fantastic to see C40 Co-Chair @london.gov.uk @sadiqkhanlondon.bsky.social speaking about the leading climate action he has delivered as mayor - the worlds largest clean air zone, 5x more bike lanes, divesting pension funds from fossil fuels and much more. (1/2)
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
J'ai été honorée d'être à l'Hôtel de Ville de Paris pour célébrer les 10 ans de l'Accord de Paris sur le climat et d'entendre l'incroyable @annehidalgo.bsky.social expliquer comment ses politiques ont permis de réduire la pollution atmosphérique de 60 % grâce à une réduction du trafic de 40 %.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
Honoured to be at Paris City Hall to celebrate 10 years of the Paris Climate Agreement & hear the incredible @annehidalgo.bsky.social explain how her policies have cut air pollution 60% as a result of reducing traffic by 40%
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Yesterday, I visited the new cold food storage hub @wutrain.bsky.social opened - an impressive project inspired by C40’s work in Milan. It’s helping fresh food that would otherwise go to waste reach food insecure families across the city. Boston is showing how climate policies deliver benefits.
A group of visitors including Mark Watts visit Boston's new cold food storage hub.Mark Watts is shown around Boston's new cold food storage hub. In the warehouse, we see fresh food that would otherwise go to waste reach food insecure families across the city.
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Mark Watts @mark--watts.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
It’s a great example of climate action improving lives: cutting emissions, lowering energy bills, and tackling environmental injustice. (2/2)
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