Seville became the international capital of urban finance on 30 June and 1 July 2025 with the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, organised by the UCLG, Seville City Council and the UNDP. With the participation of international networks, multilateral agencies, and local and regional governments from around the globe, this strategic event sent a resounding message from Seville: without adequate, decentralised financing with a territorial vision, the transition to sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities is impossible.
Seville, at the heart of Southern Europe, welcomed this global declaration as both host and example. Sevilla City One participated in the event on 1 July, represented by the Initiative’s Strategic Advisor, Francisco Morcillo. As local actors committed to a metropolitan vision of the future, we are aligned with international priorities and European strategies committed to urban leadership in the fight against climate change and inequalities.
The final declaration of the conference insisted on the need to rethink the global financial architecture to put it at the service of people and the planet. It called for direct access to funds for local governments, investments with real human impact and monitoring mechanisms that go beyond traditional indicators. It is not just about more resources, but about redesigning how, for what and with whom urban transformations are financed.
Mission 100 Climate Neutral Cities for 2030
This debate was directly connected to Seville’s commitments as a selected city within the European Union’s Mission 100 Climate Neutral Cities for 2030. The award of the Mission Label by the European Commission not only recognises the local climate roadmap, but also confirms the institutional commitment to a greener, fairer and more connected Seville. A Seville capable of leading from the metropolitan area and of projecting itself with its own voice in major international forums.
Seville City One, within this framework, represents the platform that articulates this transformative vision with facts. Its model of public-private collaboration, active business fabric and committed citizenship is today a reference in how a metropolis can activate specific projects with impact and scalability. Especially in two strategic areas: urban rehabilitation and the reduction of the energy footprint.
Rehabilitation is not a sectoral operation, but a policy of cohesion, regeneration and opportunity. Rehabilitation means building a city from what already exists, combating urban inequality and boosting the local economy. Similarly, work on the energy footprint is linked to innovation, efficiency and urban intelligence. From sustainable mobility to the digitalisation of consumption, Seville seeks a measurable, shared and structural transformation.
In short, the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development has consolidated Seville as a loudspeaker for a new global financial contract, and Sevilla City One as a real expression of how to turn climate and social ambition into transformative urban action. From here, from the south of Europe, it has been shown that another way of financing, planning and inhabiting our cities is not only possible, but necessary. And Seville wants to be – and is already – among those making it happen.
