Successful climate action is not a collection of silver bullets. It is an iterative process of communication, collaboration, self-evaluation, and open-minded exploration.

This report describes the process of designing, reconfiguring, and implementing the Ambitious City Promises project, a four and a half year-long endeavor to fortify future metropolitan climate action in Southeast Asia. Cities in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam partnered with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and each other through the funding from BMU’s International Climate Initiative (IKI) to reimagine their postures towards goal-setting and idea generation.

Ultimately, rigorous stakeholder engagement paved each city’s path to raising climate ambitions.