Commissioners Join Leaders at CoMotion GLOBAL 2025 to Advance the Mayors in Motion Initiative

At CoMotion GLOBAL 2025 in Riyadh, Mauricio Rodas and Eugénie L. Birch, representing the Secretariat of the UN SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance, joined more than 100 city leaders, policymakers, and innovators for the launch of Mayors in Motion. The new program, headed by Rodas, offers a new global platform designed to accelerate sustainable urban transformation.

Held from December 7 to 9, the summit convened mayors from six continents alongside senior city leaders to address the financing, policy, and partnership gaps that shape the future of urban mobility. Professors Rodas and Birch participated in high-level discussions emphasizing the critical role of urban finance in enabling cities to deliver equitable, resilient, and climate-aligned mobility systems.

As part of the Mayors in Motion launch program, they underscored three priorities central to the Commission’s mission:

• Strengthening local capacity and creditworthiness to unlock larger, more diversified sources of finance;
• Mobilizing SDG-aligned capital for low-carbon transport, public infrastructure, and resilient urban development; and
• Scaling multi-city learning networks that help leaders replicate successful models—including innovative investment partnerships, transit-oriented development, and data-driven planning.

The inaugural mayoral cohort included high-impact urban leaders, including Commissioners such as Marvin Rees (Bristol), Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr (Freetown), and Claudio Orrego (Santiago), many of whom highlighted groundbreaking work in clean energy, equitable mobility, and large-scale transit delivery.

Rodas noted that these examples illustrate why global collaboration is imperative: 

“Cities everywhere face rising climate risks, rapid urbanization, and tightening fiscal legers. To meet the 2030 Agenda, we must connect mayors with the financial tools, policy models, and institutional support needed to turn ambition into investable action.”

As secretariat for the Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance, Penn IUR applauds the Mayors in Motion initiative for elevating city leadership and creating new means to support the future of urban mobility. Rodas and Birch’s participation reinforces the Commission’s commitment to building a global enabling environment where cities can access—and effectively deploy—the resources required to achieve the SDGs.