This report is a synthesis of the debate carried out with Peter Newman in the conference series ‘Facing climate change’, organised by Catalunya Europa Foundation in the context of the Re-City project. This session, entitled ‘How to build resilient cities locally, while being part of a global decarbonization process’ consisted of a public lecture, a seminar with participants from the academic sector of Catalonia and a lunch-debate that brought together personalities from the economic, social, political and business sector of Catalonia.