Extreme heat is now one of the deadliest and fastest-growing climate risks, claiming close to half a million lives each year and placing intense pressure on cities, health systems and economies, with the heaviest burden falling on the most exposed communities. Cities are on the front line of this challenge, and also where many of the most effective responses are being built.
Beat the Heat, the urban heat resilience implementation drive launched at COP30 by the Brazilian Presidency and the UNEP Cool Coalition, supports cities to move from commitment to delivery through heat assessments, passive cooling, heat action planning, public procurement and subnational implementation. The partnership now brings together more than 250 cities and over 100 partners working to protect people from rising heat while avoiding a spiral of rising energy demand and emissions.
Taking advantage of partners' participation in London Climate Action Week, this closed-door meeting brings together key organisations for a focused discussion. It aims to share recent progress, align on priorities, and strengthen collaboration across the Beat the Heat partnership. The session will also look ahead to upcoming milestones, in particular the Global Cooling Pledge Assembly and the Beat the Heat Study Tour in Singapore in September 2026.