While negotiations at SB64 progressed slowly, cities and regions demonstrated that climate implementation is already underway. Their experiences show why multilevel governance and stronger partnerships are essential to delivering national climate commitments ahead of COP31.
COP30 has come and gone. NDCs 3.0 are on the table. The global community has made its commitments. The question now is whether and how those commitments will actually be delivered.
After turning 80 in 2025, the United Nations has entered a new era with major reform processes unfolding simultaneously. With only four years until the 2030 Agenda review, multilevel collaboration and urbanization could determine whether multilateralism delivers or falls short.
For better or worse, the year ahead brings a mix of reforms, political shifts and global milestones that will shape how urban sustainability agendas are governed and delivered. Here’s what local and regional governments should be on the lookout for this year.
As co-focal point of the Local Authorities Major Group, ICLEI ensures cities’ and regions’ voices are represented in the UNEA process, with subnationals calling for stronger synergies with the Rio Conventions and other Multilateral Environmental Agreements.
Brazil’s pioneering multilevel coordination effort is reshaping multilevel governance and collaboration at home and inspiring global pathways. From the beginning, the intention of this group was to bring climate federalism to life: National, state, and local actors aligning positions, sharing knowledge, and building a unified narrative that could travel from the streets of Brazilian cities to the negotiation rooms of the UNFCCC.
17-18 November are COP30’s days to elevate both planetary and community stewardship, with a spotlight on youth. For young people – and particularly YOUNGO, the official children and youth constituency within the UNFCCC process – COP30 is an opportunity to continue advocating for multi-generational priorities into the proceedings.
With only 27 new NDCs submitted by June 2025, covering just 21% of global emissions, are governments actually delivering on that promise?
ICLEI’s Town Hall COP Initiative is emerging as a powerful model to make climate action truly locally led, transformation-oriented, and, most importantly, nationally relevant.
Under the umbrella of Daring Cities 2025 Bonn Dialogues, this event highlighted the importance of partnerships to deliver not just ambitious plans, but real climate action for a thriving future.
The 2nd CHAMP UNFCCC Focal Point Dialogue provided a platform for national government endorsers and their strategic partners to assess progress and guide CHAMP’s implementation toward COP30.
Mostly not. And that’s an issue, since one of the drivers of success for COP30 could be how well the NDCs 3.0 reflect and enable climate action in cities.