All levels, one goal: Scaling ambition ahead of COP30

Every year, the Bonn Climate Talks – formally the sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SBs) – serve as the mid-year checkpoint on the road to the annual COP. With over 6,000 national delegates and civil society representatives expected, the SB62 (16-26 June 2025) is far from routine. It arrives at a critical juncture, with unresolved negotiations from COP29 in Baku, new dynamics in global climate diplomacy, and a Brazilian COP Presidency that promises to shift the conversation from negotiation to implementation.

For the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency, which serves as the voice of towns, cities and regions, and all other subnationals in the UNFCCC processes, the SB62 offers more than a procedural stop on the climate calendar. It is a platform to demonstrate that multilevel climate action – anchored in collaboration between national and local and regional governments – is not only possible, but already happening.

Why the SB62 matters

The Global Stocktake outcomes at COP28 in Dubai in 2023 laid foundational commitments for transitioning away from fossil fuels and multilevel action, as well as a new Global Goal on Adaptation. COP29 Baku concluded with new goals on climate finance and provided a vision for the role of urban systems in mitigation. Yet, much remains to be resolved. COP29 in Baku left several negotiations open – particularly on implementation tools for mitigation and adaptation – and many countries from the Global South made it clear they would not move forward without tangible progress on climate finance.

The SB62 must now accelerate these pathways. The negotiations are expected to set the groundwork for credible, measurable implementation pathways and finalize indicators that have yet to be agreed.

Adding to the complexity is the new diplomatic context. The SB62 is the first official UNFCCC meeting after the U.S. announcement of its withdrawal of its participation in the Paris Agreement in 2025, where all eyes are on the rest of the world to advance on collective climate ambition and action. 

Yet, recent international processes – such as the resumed session of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Rome, Italy in February 2025 and the resumed second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya in May – have progressed despite (or thanks to) this new status quo. The question now is whether this positive momentum is enough to drive the climate agenda forward.

Brazil, as the incoming COP30 Presidency, is offering a bold reframe. Drawing from its long history in climate diplomacy, Brazil is championing a more inclusive and implementation-oriented logic. In the spirit of the Brazilian mutirão – a collective task for the common good – the Presidency is inviting a broad coalition of actors to engage beyond negotiation, and toward transformation.

The LGMA agenda: Raising the bar for multilevel action

For the LGMA Constituency, the SB62 is more than a negotiation space – it is a proving ground. After years of advocacy, multilevel governance is no longer a footnote but a pillar. The breakthrough paragraph 161 of the COP28 Global Stocktake decision urges Parties to engage in inclusive, multilevel, cooperative action. 

Moreover, the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP), also launched at COP28, is gaining traction. National governments are beginning to embed local and regional voices in their climate strategies. The SB62 therefore offers a global platform to showcase how this works in practice, as well as to advance this conversation further, aligned with Brazil’s vision of inclusivity.

In parallel, the LGMA Constituency is watching how new processes like the NDC 3.0 are shaping up. Many of these Nationally Determined Contributions will only succeed if they are co-developed and implemented with local actors. The Town Hall COPs initiative provides a structured way for national and local leaders to co-create priorities. The SB62 will help determine whether these innovations are becoming the new normal.

Daring Cities 2025 Bonn Dialogues: Taking stock to move forward

Running alongside the Bonn negotiations, the Daring Cities 2025 Bonn Dialogues offer a mid-year platform for the LGMA Constituency to take stock, exchange, and mobilize. From 16-18 June, the Bonn Dialogues will feature high-level panels, deep dives into national experiences, and roundtable discussions designed to feed directly into the UNFCCC process.

Key events include the LGMA SB62 Briefing and the second CHAMP UNFCCC Focal Point Dialogue, which offers a platform for national government endorsers and their strategic partners, including the LGMA Constituency, to assess progress and guide CHAMP’s implementation toward COP30. 

In addition, Daring Cities 2025 will see the launch of the LGMA’s COP30 Vision Letter, outlining priorities and proposals towards, in, and beyond Belém. Here, the LGMA will also formally kick off its Town Hall COP campaign.

Throughout the Bonn Dialogues, participants will engage on topics ranging from the first annual review of local and subnational action on Rio Conventions to feeding local data into the IPCC’s Special Report, to financing nature-based solutions, to scaling energy efficiency (here is the full agenda). 

Deep-dive sessions on Canada, Kenya, and South Africa will explore the multilevel dynamics shaping national implementation. Designed for interaction, these dialogues mirror the inclusive, participatory approach that ICLEI -in its role as focal point of the LGMA- advocate for at the global level. If the SBs are about negotiations, Daring Cities is about action, hence reflecting two halves of the same climate coin.

What’s next: Building the bridge from Bonn to Belém

Under the Daring Cities framework, ICLEI, UN-Habitat, and the University of Southern Denmark will host a dedicated side event at the SB62 to showcase local climate action and explore pathways to strengthen implementation through multilevel governance. Titled Urban COP30 and Beyond: Multilevel Action and Sustainable Urbanization to Deliver on the Paris Agreement, the session will highlight how local leadership is key to achieving global climate goals (17 June, 15:00 CEST).

Looking ahead, the SB62 outcomes – both within the negotiation halls and through the Daring Cities Bonn Dialogues – have the potential to shape how local and regional governments engage with the COP30 process. Brazil’s call for a “movement of movements” is not rhetorical; it reflects a real opportunity for cities and regions to be fully embedded in the global response.

The LGMA’s vision is clear: Implementation must be multilevel, finance must be accessible, and ambition must be shared. The SB62 can be a momentum-builder, a message to the world that local leadership is indispensable, and a reminder that progress is only possible when all levels of government work together.

Featured photo credit: UN Climate Change.

This blog was written by Matteo Bizzotto, Senior Communication Officer, with contributions from Yunus Arikan, Director of Global Advocacy, ICLEI World Secretariat.