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Climate finance for cities and buildings : a handbook for local governments / Stéphane Pouffary and Heather Rogers, Energies 2050. UNEP, 2014, 68 p.http://climatefinance.info/profiles/blogs/climate-finance-for-cities-and-buildings-handbook-unepPresentation (© UNEP) :The importance of cities in terms of climate change mitigation refers to the simple reality that they house the majority of the world’s population and account for approximately 75% of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The buildings sector is often the biggest source of these emissions. At the same time, cities as well as buildings have a unique and significant emission reduction potential. In order to put effective GHG mitigation strategies in place they need to be equipped with the necessary technical support and financial resources.Climate finance can provide an important opportunity for accessing international funding to support GHG mitigation activities, whilst providing a methodological framework for measuring the results. But so far climate finance mechanisms have not been tailored to the complex urban environment. A transition is however underway to change this – by making mechanisms more flexible and accessible.This new UNEP publicationaims to help raise awareness among local stakeholders regarding climate finance and the challenges and opportunities for GHG mitigation in the built environment. It provides an overview of the main climate finance mechanisms, and discusses their relevance to the urban context. It also discusses key considerations for measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), which is crucial for building trust and keeping track of climate change mitigation activities.