COP30 in Belém, Brazil, marked an important moment in the global climate process, taking place ten years after the Paris Agreement and following the first Global Stocktake. Held at the gateway to the Amazon and shaped by Brazil’s emphasis on cooperation, inclusion, and the mutirão spirit of collective effort, this COP marked an important – albeit imperfect – step forward for cities, states, and regions in the global fight against climate change.
While national governments remained central to formal negotiations, cities, regions and their networks – including many Covenant signatories, coordinators and supporters, even one of its Board members – participated in large numbers, underlining the growing role of local and subnational authorities in turning global commitments into concrete action.
Below is a look at what COP30 delivered for cities, and what still needs to happen.
Local action within the COP framework
Cities and regions came to COP30 with strong expectations. Local governments have been calling for a formal role in implementation since the Paris Agreement, and many arrived in Belém already moving ahead: phasing out fossil fuels, protecting residents from extreme climate impacts, and accelerating adaptation where national systems lag behind.
At COP30, the Mutirão Decision acknowledged these contributions, explicitly “welcoming the efforts of…cities and other subnational authorities in multilevel climate action.” However, organisations representing local and regional governments, including the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency, noted that the final negotiated outcomes did not establish a formal, mandated framework for multilevel governance – a missing piece that may slow national transitions exactly when acceleration is most needed.
Still, outside the negotiation halls, progress continues. A new COP30 report showed that the inclusion of cities and regions in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) has nearly doubled, suggesting that national governments increasingly recognise that climate implementation depends on local actors.
Stronger global pledges set the context for local delivery
COP30 saw the submission of updated or strengthened NDCs from a number of major economies, including the European Union, Brazil, Japan, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. The EU’s new commitment to reduce emissions 66.25%–72.5% by 2035 provides a clear long-term signal for national–local cooperation, especially in urban energy systems, mobility, housing, and land use.
Paula Pinho, Chief Spokesperson of the European Commission,Teresa Ribera and Wopke Hoekstra (from left to right). © European Union, 2025
Collectively, the new NDCs move the world slightly closer to a 1.5°C pathway. Yet even with 122 Parties submitting updated plans, the world remains off track. This gap reinforces a central message from cities in Belém: the importance of alignment between national targets and local realities for ambitions to be implemented. As Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Mayor of Malmö, noted:
“If you have national goals that fit with what’s happening on the ground, then it’s much easier to deliver.”
Phasing out fossil fuels: from local to global
As COP30 entered its second week, discussions increasingly focused on the global transition away from fossil fuels, building on the direction set by the Global Stocktake at COP28 in Dubai. The European Union reiterated its commitment to climate neutrality by 2050 and to the COP28 pledges to transition away from fossil fuels, triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030.
Through the European Green Deal, Fit for 55 and REPowerEU, the EU continues to demonstrate that a managed fossil fuel phase-out can enhance energy security, reduce emissions and support a just transition. Over the past decade, the EU has more than halved its coal consumption, sharply reduced its reliance on fossil gas, and massively expanded renewable energy, which reached record levels in 2024.
Alongside these global and national commitments, cities highlighted their role in delivering the fossil fuel phase-out on the ground, through energy efficiency upgrades and clean heating solutions. Covenant signatories are showcasing these concrete efforts through the Cities Heat Detox, demonstrating how they are moving away from fossil fuels in their heating systems. Multiple Covenant mayors from Europe – including the mayors of Malmö, Grenoble, Mannheim, and deputy mayor of Marseille – took part in the 'We don't have time' broadcasts in Belém, to share their cities' efforts.
Mayor of Grenoble, Eric Piolle, participates in 'We don't have time' Broadcasts at COP30
Malmö’s experience with district heating illustrates this approach. “Today, 90% of households have access to district heating, and 98% of it runs on renewable and recycled fuels,” said Mayor Stjernfeldt Jammeh, underlining the role of local infrastructure in reducing emissions while ensuring affordability.
She also stressed the social dimension of climate action: “If it’s not affordable for citizens, it is not sustainable.”
Adaptation takes centre stage, and cities push for resources
Adaptation emerged as a major focus of COP30, especially for developing countries already experiencing severe climate impacts. Negotiators expanded on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) agreed at COP29 in Baku — aiming for USD 300 billion annually in public finance for adaptation by 2035, within a broader USD 1.3 trillion climate finance architecture.
The EU believes that a bigger share of climate finance must go to adaptation, and there are emerging business opportunities for European companies in adaptation services, product and technologies.
Local leaders welcomed these commitments but emphasised that city adaptation needs remain underfunded and unpredictable. Cities are on the frontlines of heatwaves, rising seas, and floods, yet still face barriers accessing international climate finance. Without systematic financial pathways for cities, adaptation efforts risk remaining fragmented and insufficient.
The Just Transition gains momentum and a new vehicle
One of the negotiated outcomes of COP30 was the establishment of a Just Transition Mechanism, reflecting the growing global focus on workers, communities and social inclusion in climate action. Local governments have an important role in this context, as they work closest to citizens, engage communities directly, and support vulnerable groups – as done by Covenant of Mayors signatories in their actions to address energy poverty.
Dan Jørgensen delivers opening remarks at the event “Jobs, Skills, and Climate: Realizing Equitable Transitions” at the Just Transition Pavilion during COP30 in Belém, Pará, Brazil. © European Union, 2025
For cities, just transition considerations are embedded in everyday policy areas such as public transport, district energy systems, building renovation and local labour markets. Ensuring that climate action puts people first aligns closely with the core responsibilities of municipal governments. Local government organisations, including the LGMA, welcomed the creation of the Mechanism and expressed readiness to contribute to its implementation.
City representatives emphasised that directing funding to the local level can accelerate the transition while addressing social equity. As Eric Piolle, Mayor of Grenoble, explained:
“Funding the local level and communities will help speed up the energy transition, with less social inequalities.”
Urban action and multilevel cooperation on the COP Agenda
The 4th Ministerial Meeting on Urbanisation and Climate Change, held during COP30, continued a four-year trend of elevating cities on the COP agenda. Co-hosted by the COP Presidency, Brazil’s Ministry of Cities, and UN-Habitat, the meeting brought together ministers, mayors, governors, Indigenous leaders, and global partners.
Its outcome — an 8-point alignment on urbanisation and climate action — reinforced that sustainable, inclusive, climate-smart cities are indispensable to implementing NDCs. The Ministerial meeting also supported the roll-out of the One-Stop-Shop for Multilevel and Urban Action within the UNFCCC system, helping cities navigate climate processes more effectively.
Closing press conference at the closing of Ministerial Meeting on Urbanisation and Climate Change at COP30 with Minister of Cities of Brazil, the Mayor of Malmö, and the Governor of California.
Meanwhile, the Cities & Regions Hub, co-convened by ICLEI and UN-Habitat and hosted by Brazil’s Ministry of Cities, showcased innovative urban solutions throughout COP30: multilevel governance models, national-local collaboration platforms, and urban finance initiatives such as Finance Your Cities Country Platforms.
The week before the COP, the European Union formally endorsed the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP). This coalition was highlighted throughout the COP as a practical mechanism for strengthening cooperation. “It’s an initiative to make nations collaborate with the local level when they work on the NDCs,” said Mayor Stjernfeldt Jammeh, describing it as “an important step towards more structured dialogue.”
The LGMA’s COP30 Joint Position — endorsed by more than 50 local government networks — represented an unprecedented level of unity among cities and regions globally. Their advocacy efforts ensured that multilevel governance featured prominently in ministerial sessions, side events, and the action agenda.
The road ahead: from recognition to partnership
While COP30 may not have made as much progress as we would like, COP30 marked a step forward – although incomplete – in advancing global climate action, including greater recognition of the role of cities and regions in implementation.
As Diana Pretzell, Mayor of Mannheim, noted in Belém:
“We have climate action plans with hundreds of measures, but we need to work together — across all levels of government — and ensure access to financing to make the transition work for everyone.”
While COP30 did not establish a fully integrated framework for multilevel governance within the UNFCCC, it helped lay the groundwork for deeper collaboration between national, regional and local authorities in the coming years.
The momentum generated in Belém is expected to carry forward through upcoming Conferences of the Parties and into the preparation of the 2027 IPCC Special Report on Cities, which will further inform how local action can support the achievement of global climate goals.
View of Belém, Brazil, The Ver-o-Peso Complex, including the blue Fish Market building, on the banks of Guajará Bay. © European Union, 2025
Details
- Publication date
- 18 December 2025