How can cities leverage their collective purchasing power to accelerate climate action?

A new concept note answers this key question and aims to kickstart a global conversation on how intra-city aggregated procurement can enable cities to combine public and private purchasing power to shape markets for low-emission solutions such as low-carbon construction.

Developed by the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA), Viable Cities, and the Green Transition Initiative, with support from international partners including UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme), the First Movers Coalition, C40 Cities, Dark Matter Labs, Global Environment Facility, World Resources Institute, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) and Urban Transitions Mission, this work provides:

• Practical models for aggregating public and private demand
• A phased program for piloting and scaling the approach with cities
• Strategic alignment with initiatives such as the First Movers Coalition, System Demonstrators, and C40 Clean Construction program

Aligned with Sweden’s engagement in the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP), this work positions intra-city aggregated procurement as a key tool for connecting city-level action with national climate frameworks.

The cement and concrete sector, one of the highest-emitting industries, serves as the initial focus of this concept note, offering cities a high-impact entry point to shape markets, send coordinated demand signals, and reduce embodied emissions.

The concept note also builds on the momentum of the First Movers Coalition (FMC), which is launching a “First Mover Cities” cohort, a group of high-ambition cities seeking to take tangible steps to integrate low-emission cement and concrete into their developments. These cities will connect with private sector leaders, financiers, and partners across the construction value chain to create a strong demand signal for low-carbon materials and accelerate market transformation.

Learn more and download the concept note here.