The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) also adopted the Paris Agreement, through which United Nations Member States committed to limiting global warming, which implies a critical role for national governments in climate-change adaptation and mitigation in urban settlements, which are most responsible for and most vulnerable to climate change. Lastly, in October 2016, the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) adopted the New Urban Agenda (NUA), advocating for proactive policies to leverage the dynamics of urbanisation as instruments of sustainable development. Well-designed national policy frameworks can help countries and cities achieve economic growth, environmental sustainability and social inclusion.