India, Nov. 11 -- Global Covenant of Mayors' report shows cities are leading climate action, with 58% of its signatories setting higher emissions targets than national governments.

However, access to climate finance, especially in emerging markets, remains a critical challenge.

The alliance plans to focus on implementation through enhanced urban climate finance and innovative solutions.

More than half the cities and local governments participating in a global climate alliance have set emissions reduction targets that exceed their national governments' ambitions, and nearly one-third aim to achieve their targets sooner, according to a new report launched at the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Cli...