COP30 Local Leaders Forum Statement

A Message from Local Leaders to COP30

Statement of support from more than 14,000 local leaders to national governments at COP30

As world leaders gather in Belém for COP30, we - the local leaders and networks representing more than 14,000 cities, towns, states, regions, provinces and devolved governments across every continent - have come together at the COP30 Local Leaders Forum to affirm our unwavering commitment to fighting the climate crisis with real on-the-ground solutions. At a time when climate impacts worsen globally, their consequences threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions, and global climate ambition still falls short of what is needed, we heed the call of the COP30 Presidency to bring solutions to Belém as part of the global mutirão.

Together, we are committed to making life more affordable and building more resilient communities by expanding renewable energy access, accelerating energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, advancing nature-based solutions, and protecting forests, biodiversity and water. Around the world, regions are publishing robust transition and adaptation plans, showing how climate action and nature protection can go hand in hand for stronger local economies and fairer futures. Cities are planning ambitious climate actions for the next 12 months - and will do so every year. Subnationals are organizing their own local COPs, engaging communities and building momentum from the ground up, all in support of the international climate process.

Our collective action is a beacon of hope for the people we serve every day. By turning global, national, and local climate policies into tangible results, we are improving the daily lives of our residents: creating new jobs, cleaner air, safer streets, healthier and more inclusive communities, and stronger economies. Our leadership brings international commitments home, ensuring that global agreements deliver real benefits where they matter most - reflecting on-the-ground realities and expertise, such as those of indigenous peoples or the challenges of unique ecosystems such as the Amazon.

Now, united at the COP30 Local Leaders Forum, we present three clear and concrete offers to national governments gathering at COP30 so, together, we can meet the urgency of this decisive decade for climate action. Local leaders commit to:

Helping countries achieve their national climate goals by actively engaging as partners in implementation and promoting a just and resilient transition.

Our localized leadership can advance the health, affordability, security and safety of our communities and help our countries meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), but enhanced collaboration is necessary. The 77 CHAMP nations (Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships) recognise this opportunity, and by working with their subnational governments, countries could close 37% of the emissions reduction gap between current plans and a Paris-aligned trajectory. Further opportunities include the operationalization of local adaptation indicators as part of the Global Goal on Adaptation or recognising the role of subnationals in the design, implementation, and monitoring of just transition pathways.

Ensuring a robust pipeline of over 2,500 transformation and bankable local projects to help localize and channel climate finance for both mitigation and adaptation.

Local leaders have a critical role to play in the new global architecture for climate finance. They can regulate, plan, tax, mobilize capital, and send strong market signals - 44% of all compliance carbon pricing instruments globally are implemented at the subnational level. The scale of the challenge demands much more. The Baku-to-Belém Roadmap's call to mobilize $1.3 trillion annually presents a pivotal opportunity to direct public and private investment into subnational governments and the communities we serve, including through the localization of country platforms. In doing so, prioritizing funding for the Global South and ensuring a just and resilient transition must be central to building a new, inclusive global climate finance system.

Advancing multilevel action and collaboration to make the COP process one of implementation and accountability.

Local leaders, including via the Local Government and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) constituency, are ready to deepen partnerships across all levels of government to ensure that COP becomes a place for accelerating real action and measurable progress on both emissions reduction and resilience and adaptation, where the world takes stock of achievements and sets clear, actionable plans. The COP process could evolve to strengthen subnational participation in implementation of international climate commitments, including by enhancing avenues to scale multi-level climate solutions and by incentivizing countries to collaborate and exchange experiences with subnationals in order to meet and exceed their contributions towards the goals of the Paris Agreement ahead of the next Global Stocktake.

To the world leaders gathering in Belém next week: you can count on us. Local leaders are ready to join you in a true global mutirão - working side by side to turn ambition into action and promises into progress. Our collective commitment will help advance the COP30 Action Agenda and fuel the spirit of global collaboration needed to deliver a just, resilient, and sustainable net-zero future for all not only for this COP, but for generations to come.

The decade of climate action begins now - let's build it together.