Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Freetown in Sierra Leone are the only two African countries recognised as having the best climate projects in the world at the 2022 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards.

At the C40 World Mayors Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, C40 and Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the 10 winners of the 2022 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards.

Winners of the 2022 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards come from Asia, North America, South America, Europe, and Africa.

Dhaka North in Bangladesh, Beijing in China, Tokyo in Japan, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Pune, India were among the winners in Asia.

Only São Paulo in Brazil won in South America, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands won in Europe.

In North America, the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara in Mexico, and Seattle in the United States were among the winners.

The awards were given out in five categories that corresponded to this year's summit theme, United in Action, and represented the most ambitious and impactful projects spearheaded by mayors from around the world to address the global climate crisis.

It includes: united to accelerate immediate action in critical sectors, united to clean the air we breathe, united in building climate resilience, united to innovate and united in building a climate movement.

This year's prestigious awards were competed for by 70 cities. The awards recognise and encourage friendly competition among cities eager to demonstrate successful climate actions and raise global ambition by celebrating pioneering climate projects led by mayors around the world.

The previous seven editions of the awards program have highlighted some of the world's most ambitious climate projects as well as highly replicable best practices.

For example, São Paulo and Freetown were recognised in the united to innovative category, while Seattle in Tokyo, and Kuala Lumpur were recognised in the United to build a climate movement category.

The united to build resilience category went to Dhaka North and the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area.

Other categories, such as united to clean the air we breathe, went to Pune and Beijing, while united to accelerate immediate action went to Amsterdam and Addis Ababa.

FreetowntheTreetown: planting and digitally tracking Freetown’s trees project and Addis Ababa's Improving waste management in Addis Ababa through decentralised composting and recycling project got both selected for the award.

Reducing Amsterdam’s gas consumption by 15% in 2022 project and phasing out coal in Beijing’s heating system.

Rapid electric bus deployment in Pune project and Expansion of green spaces to create a greener, more inclusive and livable city in Dhaka North projects got awarded.

“Nidos de Lluvia”: strengthening local water resilience in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara and
São Paulo’s Sustainable School Menu: reducing food insecurity via local production and climate-friendly options projects won the award for both cities.

Tackling inequity with Seattle’s Green New Deal and Global North and Global South collaboration in Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur to decarbonise the building sector sailed through.

Previous winners of the award include London, which was recognised for its groundbreaking 24-hour Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London and Chair of C40 Cities, stated that cities are leading the way in addressing the climate emergency.

According to Sadiq, these cities represent some of the best projects from around the world, and their commitment to local communities and the environment is impressive.

"The focus on immediate climate action illustrates the power of cities to be doers, not delayers, setting a new level of ambition that I hope will inspire leaders around the world to invest in a greener future," he said.

According to Michael R. Bloomberg, C40 Board President and UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, mayors and cities around the world are increasingly banding together to share strategies, set ambitious goals, and deliver much-needed results in the fight against climate change.

"The C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards highlight the best of local climate leadership, demonstrating to national governments and the world what's possible ahead of COP27," said Michael Bloomberg, the 108th Mayor of New York and Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies.

According to C40 Executive Director Mark Watts, the winning projects are excellent examples of cities making a significant impact on their communities, and a healthier, cleaner future should be a priority for every mayor.

"When mayors invest in the green recovery, they create jobs and just, thriving communities for all. This year's winners are climate leaders and we are proud to highlight their hard work at the C40 World Mayor's Summit."

Supriya Sahu, Principal Secretary for the Department of Environment, Climate Change & Forests in the government of Tamil Nadu, India, and one of eight awards jurors, said: “Selecting the winners was a challenging task due to the outstanding quality and variety of applications."

He stated that the jury appreciates the outstanding leadership and innovation displayed by cities in the Global South, and that the winning projects should inspire leaders all over the world who want to reduce emissions, build resilience, and make a lasting difference in their communities.

C40 is a network of nearly 100 world-leading mayors working together to deliver the immediate action required to address the climate crisis. We can build a future where everyone, everywhere can thrive if we work together.