12 June 2025, Beijing - City leaders, policymakers, and urban experts from across Asia and beyond convened yesterday in Beijing for the Asian Mayors Forum, a high-level segment of the 2025 Beijing CBD Forum.

The forum, themed "Collaborative Innovation: Shaping Low-Carbon and Sustainable Cities of the Future", aimed to further advance international collaboration on urban development, share low-carbon development experiences, and explore how technological and financial innovation can support cities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China and supported by the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, the event brought together city authorities from over 16 different cities across Asia and beyond, as well as multinational corporate executives, representatives of international organizations, and academic experts to discuss future low-carbon pathways and sustainable urban development.

As the Asia-Pacific region’s urban population continues to surge – on pace for an estimated 1.2 billion new urban residents by 2050 – the need for visionary and bold leadership is critical to ensure cities remain engines of opportunity, while confronting the challenges of sustainable development, social equity, and climate resilience. The forum provided a timely platform for city leaders to forge new partnerships, and discuss comprehensive solutions driven by effective urban governance and innovation.

"Cities need to reimagine how they lead, collaborate, and finance sustainable development," said Beate Trankmann, UNDP Resident Representative in China. "When governance is strong, inclusive, sustainable, and innovative, cities thrive. They can become engines of social progress, economic opportunity, and environmental resilience. To realise this potential, UNDP is building coalitions with cities to scale what works and localize what matters."

The forum featured keynote interventions , interactive panels, and mayors’ dialogues with city leaders from Dhaka North (Bangladesh), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Beijing (China), Suva (Fiji), Vientiane (Lao PDR), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Malé (Maldives), Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Lalitpur (Nepal), Seoul (Republic of Korea), Singapore, Colombo (Sri Lanka), and more. Representatives from leading international and regional organizations, the business community, and academia—including UNESCAP, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), UNCTAD, Citynet, Tsinghua University, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and ARUP—also contributed their expertise and perspectives. The event attracted over 500 participants.

The forum was centered specifically on three main themes:

Sustainable, Resilient, and Inclusive Leadership: Speakers explored how city leaders can create a shared vision for urban development that integrates resilience to climate and social challenges, while advancing equity for vulnerable and marginalized communities.

"Our vision is to build Ulaanbaatar into a world-leading city that aligns with modern urban development trends while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Through sustainable development policies, we aim to transform Ulaanbaatar into a model green city," said Amartuvshin Amagalanbayr, Deputy Governor of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Multi-Level Governance and Whole-of-Government Approaches: Sessions highlighted the importance of collaboration among different levels of government, the private sector, and civil society to develop participatory governance models capable of addressing the complex, interconnected challenges of rapid urbanization.

"In the planning and decision-making stages of urban development, we should always ensure that women are included and given their rightful roles. We cannot build cities for the people; we must build cities together with the people. Only in this way can we achieve fairness, and fairness should be at the core," said Mohammad Azaz, Administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation, Bangladesh.

Technological and Policy Innovation for Low-Carbon and Sustainable Cities: Experts and mayors discussed how cities can leverage data, digital tools, and innovative policies to accelerate the transition to low-carbon economies and anticipate future urban challenges.

“High-density cities like Singapore face key challenges in an increasingly climate-changed and resource-constrained future. Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) is exploring a Regenerative Design approach together with multi-sectoral stakeholders and experts. Regeneration goes beyond sustainability; it considers enhanced ecosystem services through nature-based solutions, closed-loop systems and resource circularity to optimise resources and create carbon-positive developments," said Mr Hugh Lim, Executive Director, Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore.

Ms. Chen Dai, Deputy Mayor of Beijing Chaoyang District and Director of Beijing Central Business District Administrative Committee, concluded the event.

"I would like to thank the United Nations Development Programme for organizing this forum and providing us with such a valuable platform for international exchange and cooperation. I also wish to express my gratitude to all our global partners for your longstanding attention and support for Beijing, Chaoyang, and the CBD. Today’s forum is not an end, but a new starting point for deepening our cooperation and creating a better future together. Let us join hands, pursue mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and advance together toward a greener future," said Ms. Chen.

This high-level forum was part of a broader UNDP regional dialogue on sustainable urban governance. Insights and policy recommendations generated in Beijing will help shape the agenda for resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cities across Asia and beyond.