Rabat – Chefchaouen led a global call this week as the city urged the international community to fund climate solutions where they matter most.
Over two days, July 8 and 9, the Chefchaouen Local Climate Finance Forum brought together more than 60 senior voices from Moroccan institutions, development banks, UN-Habitat, and global city networks.
Their goal is to shift climate finance from abstract pledges to practical, on-the-ground support.
The event, held in partnership with the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) and C40 Cities, offered more than statements of intent – local examples stood as proof of concept.
The city’s energy-efficient streetlights, food waste projects, and its Vision Chefchaouen 2030 plan reflect what Mayor Mohamed Sefiani described as “local ambition with global impact”, made possible through funding from mechanisms like the World Bank’s City Climate Finance Gap Fund.
“Climate action means protecting lives,” said Sefiani, who also serves as a GCoM Regional Ambassador. “We already act. We lead with what we have. But cities need support. Not symbolic, not distant, real investment that reaches people, improves air, creates jobs, and gives shape to better futures.”
The forum followed the UN’s recent Financing for Development Conference in Seville and led to the Chefchaouen Call for Climate Action, a clear appeal for stronger ties between local and global actors. The document urged multilateral development banks to work with cities directly and remove barriers that slow progress.
Participants pushed for simpler pathways to funding and more trust in local leadership. The gathering also gave weight to the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) agenda, underlining national governments’ role in bridging the gap between ambition and capacity.
This push for change builds on previous milestones. In April, during the World Bank’s Spring Meetings in Washington, development banks joined subnational leaders at a roundtable focused on sustainable investment in cities.
For GCoM Co-Managing Director Andy Deacon, Chefchaouen’s position felt both symbolic and practical. “Cities like Chefchaouen move from promise to progress,” he said. “They make climate goals real. But no city can do it alone. Investment must match ambition, or the best plans stay plans.”
The forum also pointed to new tools. A guidance report released this year in Nairobi during the Urbanshift Africa Forum outlined specific measures for national governments to direct more climate finance to subnational levels.
This initiative aligns with Morocco’s broader climate goals, which prioritize local action, sustainable urban development, and stronger cooperation between national and subnational actors.
