Now in its seventh edition, Daring Cities 2026, co-convened by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the Federal City of Bonn, Germany, provides a strategic platform connecting local leadership with national and global climate processes to turn commitments into action and accelerate implementation across all levels of governance.

In the post-COP30 landscape, as countries move from the preparation to the implementation of their national climate plans (NDCs 3.0), Daring Cities 2026 responds to a critical need – connecting local and regional climate action with national and global policy processes. 

While cities and regions continue to lead on climate action, structural barriers still limit their influence in multilateral decision-making. At the same time, our complex geopolitical context, marked by increasing fragmentation and pressure on multilateral systems, demands stronger coordination across all levels of government.

Against this backdrop, Daring Cities 2026 offers a more focused and politically grounded space for reflection, learning, and strategic alignment. 

This year, the forum is shaped around the defining challenges of the post-COP30 moment: Advancing NDC 3.0 implementation through multilevel action; maximizing the opportunities presented by the landmark IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities, set for release in 2027; and strengthening the finance, partnerships, and governance needed to scale what is already working. 

Key moments define this edition. From 10-12 June, the Daring Cities 2026 Bonn Dialogues will bring together local and regional leaders, national governments, and global partners to engage directly with policy processes, implementation challenges, and negotiation dynamics. Held alongside the SB64 Climate Talks in Bonn, Germany, invited participants will strategize on accelerating implementation pathways in the lead-up to UNFCCC COP31.

Building on the outcomes of the Bonn Dialogues, Daring Cities 2026 will continue its engagement throughout the year, expanding its outreach through regional and global events, engaging broader audiences, and placing cities and regions at the center of multilevel climate action in the lead-up to, during and beyond UNFCCC COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.

Here is what Daring Cities 2026 is bringing to the table.

Multilevel governance belongs at the heart of ambitious climate action

While cities and regions are already delivering climate solutions, their influence in multilateral processes remains constrained. In a complex post-COP30 landscape, Daring Cities 2026 connects local action to national and global climate processes, aligning with the goals surfaced by the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities Constituency at COP30 last year.

“The goal is to show the vital importance of subnational actors in this critical implementation phase of the Paris Agreement,” said Ariel Dekovic, Head of Communications & Engagement, who serves as the Constituency Focal Point for the LGMA. “With the release of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities arriving next year, we want to lay the groundwork for the case that local and regional governments need to be at the heart of implementation.”

This builds on initiatives such as the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) that strengthen collaboration between national and subnational governments, ensuring that local action informs and supports the implementation of NDCs 3.0, ensuring these commitments are implemented effectively across all levels of government.

Since its launch at COP28 in 2023, CHAMP has grown to 78 endorsers, including the European Union. At COP30 in Belém, the Coalition entered its implementation phase, with Germany and Brazil announced as its first Co-Chairs until 2027, a signal that multilevel governance is moving from political commitment to structured delivery. 

Through ICLEI’s Town Hall COP initiative, Daring Cities extends this connection further, into communities themselves, creating pathways for local priorities and solutions to connect with national climate strategies and global processes.

The Special Report on Climate Change and Cities is a once-in-a-generation moment to catalyze momentum on local climate action

In March 2027, the IPCC will release the landmark Special Report on Climate Change and Cities, under its 7th Assessment Cycle. This report is the first to be focused on a “place-based scale,” the first to deal exclusively with cities and urban areas, and critically, the first to include urban practitioners alongside researchers as primary authors, a direct result of the urban community advocacy. 

For cities and regions, this report could be a pivotal opportunity to make the case, with peer-reviewed evidence, for the investment and institutional support they have long needed. But that opportunity does not realize itself. Previous IPCC cycles have shown that landmark reports do not automatically translate into action. Findings need to be turned into tools cities can use, products national governments can act on, and funding proposals financiers can evaluate.

Daring Cities 2026 sets the momentum to start building those conditions. Which translation products are needed? Which institutional interfaces should be activated before the report lands? How can the urban community prepare to make the most of it? 

Scaling climate action requires finance, coordination, and partnerships

The challenge is no longer proving what works; it is building the conditions to scale it. In an increasingly fragmented and uncertain global context, this requires stronger coordination across levels of governance and more effective collaboration between public, private, and community actors. 

This is not primarily a problem of ideas. Cities have projects and plans. What many lack is the capacity to make those projects investment-ready, direct access to finance mechanisms, and the coordination with national and international actors that would allow them to scale. 

Daring Cities 2026 brings together local, national, and global actors to align priorities, address common barriers, and unlock implementation at scale, supporting cities in translating solutions into measurable impact and contributing to the delivery of the Paris Agreement. It also strengthens transparency and accountability through platforms such as the ICLEI–CDP Track, a tool that helps cities report climate progress, linking local data to national and global frameworks.

A global community turning climate ambition into implementation

Daring Cities continues to grow as a global community of leaders who are not waiting for change; they are delivering it. By bringing together decision-makers, practitioners, and partners across levels of governance, Daring Cities is turning ambition into action, and action into impact, at the scale and speed the climate emergency demands. 

This seventh edition reflects where this community stands and sets the path forward, shaping what cities, towns, and regions must become by 2030 and beyond. In doing so, it positions cities not just as implementers, but as co-creators of solutions driving inclusive, flourishing communities for all.