Cities 1.5

As the climate crisis accelerates, our information ecosystem has become a critical battleground. Coordinated climate disinformation - driven by fossil fuel interests - is increasingly targeting cities and urban leaders to stall transformative policy and manufacture public doubt.
In this special Hot Takes episode recorded on the ground at London Climate Action Week, host David Miller examines how cities are actively defending information integrity and reclaiming the narrative. We look at why proactive storytelling and pre-bunking are far more powerful than traditional fact-checking, how mayors serve as vital trusted messengers in noisy digital spaces, and the stark reality of how disinformation threatens life and resilience on the frontlines of Ukraine. We will also be exploring how the C40 Centre itself incubated the recently launched City Climate Facts that aims to support cities in fighting disinformation, and cleaning up our urban information ecosystem.
Featured guests:
Adam Brzezinski, British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science
Chiara Morfeo, Senior Manager for Research and Communications at the C40 Centre
Oleksandr Senkevich, Mayor of Mykolaiv, Ukraine
To follow more of C40 and the C40 Centre’s work combating climate disinformation, please check out the following links: 
The C40 Centre’s climate communications insights - Substack
Previous episodes of Cities 1.5 covering different aspects of climate disinformation 
Overview of C40’s disinformation work.
If you would like a copy of the C40 disinformation and extreme weather playbook - available in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese - please request one through the form at the bottom of this link. 
Links:
Big Oil's Real Agenda on Climate Change - InfluenceMap website
Combatting Climate Disinformation: Comparing the Effectiveness of Correction Placement and Type - Environmental Communication
Inoculation Theory as a Design Approach to Game-Based Misinformation Interventions - Taylor & Francis
Disinformation in the City: Response Playbook - University of Melbourne & German Marshall Fund
Disinformation in the Service of War - Center for European Policy Analysis
Starving the Hydra: How Digital Platforms Profit from Misinformation - Center for Countering Digital Hate
If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/
Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries
Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/
Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield.
Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo.
Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/
Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/
Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

As the AI boom drives an unprecedented rush for computing power, cities face a critical question: how do we support digital expansion, without derailing net-zero climate goals? Left unregulated, data centers can consume staggering amounts of energy and water, threaten to destabilise power grids, strain local resources, and alienate communities. But it doesn’t have to be like this: city leaders are stepping up to demand both climate-friendly solutions and accountability for big tech. In this Hot Take, we explore how local leaders are moving to prevent a digital “wild west” through international collaboration. We examine the launch of the Global Urban Data Centers Pact - a landmark commitment from 41 mayors across six continents, representing 90 million people - which aims to enforce clean energy mandates, water stewardship, and tangible community benefits for future data center development.
Featured guests:
Hannah Daly, Professor of Sustainable Energy at University College Cork
Kate Gallego, Mayor of Phoenix, United States of America
Nick Reece, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Australia
Links:
The Cloud vs the Climate? Lessons from Ireland on the data centre debate - Cities 1.5 podcast
Wyoming tightens wastewater rules after Meta datacenter contractor flushed contaminated water - The Guardian
Mayors from around the world unite in call for sustainable urban data centres - C40 website
Urban Data Centres - C40 website
Data centers and the climate landscape: An actionable resource for US mayors - C40 Knowledge Hub
Thirsty for power and water, AI-crunching data centers sprout across the West - Stanford University
Stockholm, Sweden : Heat recovery from data centres - EU Covenant of Mayors
Inside the C40 World Mayors Summit: The battle for cities, truth, and a fossil-free future at COP30 and beyond - Cities 1.5, featuring Lord Mayor Nick Reece on data centres
Seizing the opportunity to do data centres right - Climate Council
Australian government announces plan for new AI and data centre regulations - Architecture AU
If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/
Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries
Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/
Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield.
Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo.
Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/
Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/
Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

The winds of change are blowing through the world’s maritime hubs…despite some national governments’ efforts to the contrary. While the shipping industry carries 90% of global trade, it also leaves a heavy carbon trail in its wake. In this episode of Cities 1.5, we explore the high-stakes transformation of our global ports: once seen as industrial hotspots of pollution, these urban harbours are emerging as the front lines of the green transition. We dive into the groundbreaking "Green Shipping Corridors" that are linking sustainable cities, and the bold shift toward zero-emission fuels. From local air quality to global supply chains, discover how cities are turning the tide on emissions and steering the industry toward a 1.5°C future. It’s time to rethink the horizon: clearer skies and smoother sailing ahead.
Featured guests: 
Eric Garcetti, C40 Ambassador for Global Climate Diplomacy and former Mayor of Los Angeles
Alisa Kreynes, Director of Ports and Shipping at C40
Featured clips:
The Shipping Forecast - BBC Radio 4
Global shipping emissions vote on a knife edge at IMO - BBC Business Today
Links:
Greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from global shipping, 2016–2023 - The International Council on Clean Transportation
A guide to the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework - Global Maritime Forum
Landmark deal to cut global shipping emissions in tatters after US pressure - BBC News
Ports and Shipping - C40 Knowledge Hub
Green shipping corridors programme - C40 Cities website
From Los Angeles to Shanghai, the port cities collaborating to cut shipping emissions - Reuters
Green Ports Forum - C40 Cities website
Why should we talk about a 'just and equitable' transition for shipping? - UN Trade and Development
Rescuing shipping's Net Zero Framework - Climate Analytics
Cities take the global stage to showcase climate action at the IMO for the first time - C40 Cities website
If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/
Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries
Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/
Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield.
Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo.
Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/
Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/
Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

From fossil fuel lobbying to coordinated political disinformation campaigns, vested interests have built a profitable disinformation infrastructure designed to spread confusion, polarize debate, and exhaust the public. The good news is that the world is waking up. For the first time in the history of the COP, a Declaration on Information Integrity was agreed upon, with governments committing to address climate disinformation and promote accurate, evidence-based information globally.
But we need to go further upstream - instead of simply fighting falsehoods, we need to build ecosystems where truth can take root and flourish. In this episode, we look to Brazil and speak to an individual who was integral in bringing information integrity both to COP and the international agenda. She makes the case for cities as one of the most powerful forces in reclaiming the narrative, building the infrastructure of truth from the ground up - one community at a time.
Featured guest: 
Thais Lazzeri, Investigative Journalist and Founder of FALA
Links:
Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change - UNESCO
Integrity Information Observatory - Oii
Mentiro Tem Preco (Lies Have a Price)
Climate Information Integrity
5 Million Acts for Truth - FALA
Tomorrow is today - YouTube (Portuguese)
500 Grams of Life - Thais Lazzeri (Portuguese) 
‘Democracy on the line’: Brazil’s election and the Bolsonaro disinformation ecosystem - Columbia Journalism Review
Environmental and Climatic Disinformation in Northern Brazil: Dynamics and Impact in the Context of COP-30 - Heinrich Boll Stiftung
Environmental journalism and the struggle against disinformation in Brazil - Frontiers in Communication
If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/
Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries
Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/
Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield.
Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo.
Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/
Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/
Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

As our lives become increasingly digital, the infrastructure powering them is sparking a global debate: we need data centres, but at what cost to the climate and our access to energy? These massive facilities are the backbone of everything from streaming to AI, yet they consume staggering amounts of electricity and water, often straining local grids and and in some cases, threatening to derail decarbonisation efforts.
In this episode of Cities 1.5, we explore how Ireland became the "canary in the coalmine" for this issue. With data centres projected to consume nearly 30% of the nation’s electricity by 2030, the Irish experience serves as a critical warning – and a roadmap – for cities worldwide. We examine the tension between economic ambition and climate mandates, questioning how urban leaders can manage the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure without derailing net-zero goals. Join us as we dive into the lessons learned from the frontlines of the data centre boom and what they mean for the future of sustainable cities.
Featured guest: 
Professor Hannah Daly, Professor of Sustainable Energy at University College Cork
Links:
Ireland’s data centre boom is driving up fossil fuel dependence - The Irish Times, by Professor Hannah Daly
Data Centres Metered Electricity Consumption 2024 - Central Statistics Office
Energy for who? Data centres and the grid - Friends of the Earth Ireland
How Big Tech wrote secrecy into EU law to hide environmental toll - The Journal Investigates
What Ireland’s Data Center Crisis Means for the EU’s AI Sovereignty Plans -  AlgorithmWatch
Ireland’s data centre policy reset: The end of the blanket moratorium -  KPMG Ireland
Google’s Dublin data centre blocked amid energy usage concerns - Tech Monitor
Data Centres Ireland – Energy, Growth and the Grid Debate - Enable Research
If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website at https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/
Listen to the Cities 1.5 five-part miniseries “Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet)" here: https://lnk.to/HDMiniSeries
Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and the C40 Centre, and is supported by C40 Cities. Sign up to the Centre newsletter: https://thecentre.substack.com/
Writing and executive production by Peggy Whitfield.
Narrative and communications support by Chiara Morfeo.
Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/
Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/
Music by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/