Thousands of mayors and local and regional leaders have called on national governments to strengthen collaboration with cities and regions ahead of COP30 in Belém, adding that such partnerships are essential to closing the gap on global climate goals.
The joint outcome statement from the COP30 Local Leaders Forum, which was held in Rio de Janeiro and convened by Bloomberg Philanthropies, was presented to UN Secretary-General António Guterres during the COP30 World Leaders Summit.
The handover was led by Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris and vice chair of C40 Cities; Katrin Jammeh, mayor of Malmö and president of ICLEI; Igor Normando, mayor of Belém; and Helder Barbalho, governor of Pará, who were joined by UN-Habitat’s executive director Anacláudia Rossbach and Fatimatou Abdel Malick, president of the regional council of Nouakchott.
The outcome statement was endorsed by more than 14,000 cities, towns and regions, and stressed the message that achieving the Paris Agreement goals will only be possible through robust multi-level collaboration and improved access to finance for local climate action.
‘A turning point’
“This moment is a turning point for our planet and our people,” Hidalgo commented. “From Rio to Belém, local leaders are showing that hope is not a promise: it’s a plan. In every city, we are proving that climate action begins where people live, work, and dream.
“I want to thank Secretary-General António Guterres for his unwavering support for multilevel cooperation and for recognising the essential role of cities in this global effort. As we move toward COP30 and beyond, we must all work together – local, national, and international partners toward one shared goal: a just, resilient, and sustainable future for all”.
The statement outlines three main priorities – firstly, that local and regional governments commit to supporting countries in delivering their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs); secondly, to ensure greater access to climate finance, with more than 2,500 local projects ready for investment in mitigation and adaptation; and thirdly, for future COP processes to focus on implementation and accountability, integrating local achievements into the UN climate framework.
‘Ready to act’
“As COP30 begins here in Belém, the handover of this statement to the UN Secretary-General sends a powerful message that cities are ready to act,” added Mark Watts, executive director of C40 Cities.
“The momentum that started in Rio shows that mayors and governors are already delivering the just, inclusive transition the world needs and are committing to taking action every year. But they cannot do it alone. If we truly want to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, global leaders must now match local ambition with global investment, especially for cities in the Global South, where solutions are ready to scale.” Read more here.
