Since launching in early 2025, the Town Hall COP Initiative has gained momentum, with 70+ local governments and civil society organizations registered to host an event. Seven cities in six countries have already hosted their events, and South Africa became the first national government to officially endorse the initiative. Read on for the latest updates on how local voices are shaping climate action ahead of COP30.
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.
Born from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, these three multilateral environmental agreements have shaped how the international community approaches global environmental challenges.
Town Hall COPs are redefining what inclusive, multilevel climate governance looks like on the road to COP30.
Under the theme “Stronger national climate plans through multilevel action,” the sixth edition of Daring Cities aims to serve as a pivotal platform for local and regional governments to influence global climate negotiations. Explore what Daring Cities 2025 is bringing to the table.
On 13 March 2025, Greater Sydney hosted one of the first Town Hall COPs for 2025 – part of a growing global effort to place local priorities at the center of national and international climate decision-making.
As we begin a pivotal year, many global north countries are facing elections and leadership changes, testing the world’s commitment to sustainable development. Last year, we witnessed several key global processes needing to continue into 2025 – like the biodiversity negotiations and the Plastics Treaty – or delivering a disappointing lack of ambition, such as the climate COP. Here are the ten things we’re watching for in 2025 regarding the global sustainability agendas.
Read our insights from the UN Convention on Combating Desertification COP16 – and the Mayors Forum – held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2-12 December.
Throughout 2024, Daring Cities spotlighted the Town Hall COPs initiative as an innovative mechanism linking local climate emergency action to national and global efforts. How do the Town Hall COPs fit into the current global climate arena? We brought this discussion to COP29.
The Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion launched at COP29 in Baku with a powerful message: Addressing the climate emergency requires seamless collaboration across all governance levels. Co-convened by UN-Habitat and ICLEI, the Pavilion serves as the global platform for city and subnational climate action, bringing together mayors, regional leaders, and national representatives to showcase both…
Hundreds of cities’ representatives and their partners have come together at the Daring Cities 2024 to exchange solutions and discuss their strategies to tackle the climate emergency. How does this translate into practice? The event showcased many real-life cases that offer inspiration for other local and regional governments to dare to take bold, transformative steps forward