Multilevel action more vital than ever to keep climate ambition on track

By Ariel Dekovic, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

Local and regional governments sent more than 100 political leaders and mobilised more than 500 delegates to advance city and region climate goals at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

These delegates were part of the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency – the official constituency representing cities and other subnationals in the UNFCCC process. Local and other subnational governments play a greater and greater role in climate summit proceedings, and COP29 was no exception.

So while there were some silver linings for local leaders, mostly the outcomes from Baku were mixed. Leaders welcomed the first major climate finance deal in fifteen years, but the terms of the deal were inadequate to ensure that communities around the world can protect themselves and represent the absolute minimum of finance that is needed.

With a disappointing lack of ambition in the overall COP29 outcomes, the LGMA Constituency stressed the increasing importance of multilevel action to ensure the climate fight continues at speed and scale.

“COP29 outcomes are a clear demonstration that global commitments and solidarity for climate action is one of the immediate and biggest victims of the evolving domestic and geopolitical turbulence,” said Yunus Arikan, Director of Global Advocacy at ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) and the LGMA Focal Point to the UNFCCC.

“In these challenging times, effective planning and implementation between all levels of government, combined with sustainable urbanisation, will be among the most important tools to raise climate ambition, deliver on climate action and uphold global solidarity and the LGMA will continue to be an even stronger partner for all national governments and the wider global community that are still attached to those values.”

Strong support for multilevel cooperation at COP29’s Ministerial Meeting(s) on Urbanisation and Climate Change, with a commitment to continuity between the urban initiatives of COP27, COP28, COP29 and COP30; a host of important local and regional government network announcements; and coordinated, energised advocacy by the Constituency – with over 500 delegates in all – marked the high points for local and other subnational government delegates at this COP. LGMA delegates participated in more than 170 events across the negotiations space, plenary sessions, Pavilions and Green Zone.

Following the conclusion of the climate summit, the Constituency released a press release summarizing its position on the outcomes of COP29, with statements from Constituency member organizations.

Key announcements and outcomes from the Constituency included:

• On 20 November, Urbanisation Day at COP29, LGMA released its COP29 Joint Position. The position was endorsed by nearly 100 local and regional governments and their global networks. LGMA representatives gave interventions throughout COP29 that spoke to the goals of the position. Throughout COP29, the LGMA produced and circulated to Parties recommended text inclusions based on the joint position across multiple negotiation areas to provide guidance to Parties on the ongoing draft texts.
• The Multisectoral Action Pathways (MAP) for Resilient and Healthy Cities Declaration was a key outcome of COP29. Over 160 stakeholders, including countries and cities, as well as the LGMA, have already endorsed the initiative, which aims to guide climate negotiations and policy discussions through COP30, highlighting the critical role of cities in tackling climate vulnerabilities and fostering a sustainable future. LGMA also expressed its support for a COP29 Truce Deal as a timely and necessary effort, and proposed a strong synergy with the biodiversity COP16 theme on “Peace with Nature” to strengthen such efforts.
• The LGMA Constituency (through ICLEI, as its focal point,) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the United Nations entity responsible for sustainable urbanisation, hosted the joint Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion at COP29. The Pavilion hosted 50 events, with more than 230 speakers from more than fifty countries.
• On Day 3 of COP29, 13 November, Brazil submitted its updated Nationally Determined Contribution. Brazil’s submission serves as an excellent example of how to scale up the role of local and other subnational governments in the planning and implementation of climate goals. The NDC makes direct reference to all levels of government working together and to COP28’s CHAMP initiative.
• Global leaders gathered for the third Ministerial Meeting on Urbanisation and Climate Change on 20 November, Urbanisation Day at the COP, which emphasized the vital role cities must play in addressing the climate crisis and accelerating sustainable urban development. The LGMA Constituency was proud to support this important moment in the COP29 agenda.
• On 18 November, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), on behalf of the LGMA Constituency and the Global Taskforce for Local and Regional Governments, released a ‘call to deliver’ an efficient local and subnational Loss and Damage response, urging international institutions, as well as national, subnational and local governments to step up in addressing the severe impacts of climate change.