Executive Director at C40 Cities | TIME100 climate leader | All views my own | He/him | Talks about climate 🌱, music 🎸 mountain running ⛰️ http://markontour.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mqu3t2jkbc2dHighly recommend making time for the @c40cities.bsky.social & LSE Nicky Gavron Memorial Lecture recording. @annehidalgo.bsky.social’s speech was extraordinary, and the dynamic with fellow mayors Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr and @mayorgallego.bsky.social was electrifying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c9hwH1dopo&t=13s17 Jul 2026 15:45 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqu3t2jkbc2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mopeqw267s26Resilience 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.20 Jun 2026 07:51 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mopeqw267s26https://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mo3pwowaxk22This 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.12 Jun 2026 12:18 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mo3pwowaxk22https://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mo3pszkcjs22This 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.12 Jun 2026 12:16 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mo3pszkcjs22https://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mnkkz5b6bp2xIn 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. 05 Jun 2026 16:35 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnkkz5b6bp2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mn7pcal6i62eIt’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.01 Jun 2026 08:52 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mn7pcal6i62ehttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mmo6mebx7c23The 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.25 May 2026 09:38 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmo6mebx7c23https://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mm4leqedt224Beijing 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.18 May 2026 09:39 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm4leqedt224https://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mkmp7qllrs2mAs climate risks accelerate, investment in resilience is essential - and cities are on the front lines. C40 Cities' new report confirms what cities have known all along: that well-designed adaptation projects deliver clear economic and financial value.29 Apr 2026 08:40 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkmp7qllrs2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mkkpxrvwn22nHeidi 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.28 Apr 2026 13:48 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkpxrvwn22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mkhrvscics2mCities are showing that a future beyond fossil fuels is possible - and already underway. From cutting demand to scaling clean energy, mayors and local leaders are turning ambition into delivery. The task now is to ensure that the transition is just, coordinated, and irreversible.27 Apr 2026 09:44 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkhrvscics2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mh3reohmr22l“Global events demonstrate there’s not a moment to waste in our drive for clean power”. https://observer.co.uk/news/opinion-and-ideas/article/ed-miliband-our-mission-is-to-drive-for-clean-homegrown-energy-we-can-control15 Mar 2026 10:47 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh3reohmr22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mgkkr7yews2xTo all the incredible women leading the way towards a fairer, cleaner, climate-safe future - including the 70% of @c40cities.bsky.social colleagues who are female & our amazing co-Chair, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Happy International Women’s Day!08 Mar 2026 14:34 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgkkr7yews2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mfrkzfu3jk2pGreat 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.26 Feb 2026 16:02 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfrkzfu3jk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mfm227xeuk2nA 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/HotTakes224 Feb 2026 11:15 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfm227xeuk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mel7prm7222iHow 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/S6E311 Feb 2026 09:58 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mel7prm7222ihttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mdflyegi4s2v“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/S6E227 Jan 2026 10:57 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdflyegi4s2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mckummzyak2wPrivileged 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 fuels16 Jan 2026 19:49 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mckummzyak2whttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3mckidrv5ts2vWe 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.16 Jan 2026 16:10 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3mckidrv5ts2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3m6ajcyvhxk2oMy comment on the #COP30 outcome: Multilateralism needed a boost in Belém, and instead it got a bandage. The COP process needs to take a long, hard look at itself.22 Nov 2025 19:20 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6ajcyvhxk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3m5vqrctd3k23How 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.18 Nov 2025 12:34 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5vqrctd3k23https://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3m5tamrcqbc2nWe start the final week of #COP30 with strong momentum behind our push for greater inclusion of cities as key partners in the delivery of these critical climate negotiations. A thread 👇 (1/7)17 Nov 2025 12:40 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5tamrcqbc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3m5ghp2sdb22uIn case you missed it: Yesterday, I joined the COP30 Briefing Room and spoke with @projectsyndicate.bsky.social about climate disinformation, how local leaders are driving progress and our yearly offers of action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NaY0TS63Yo12 Nov 2025 10:42 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5ghp2sdb22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/mark--watts.bsky.social/post/3m5eiersubc2vIt’s time to move from promises and negotiations at #COP30 to delivering climate action. To unlock progress, we should focus on where the decisions are really made: cities. Read my op-ed in @politico.com with Jader Barbalho Filho, Minister of Cities, Brazil. https://www.politico.eu/sponsored-content/cities-stand-ready-to-lead-the-decade-of-delivery-at-cop30/11 Nov 2025 15:48 +0000at://did:plc:fqberonce6extle7qne6tryg/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5eiersubc2v