Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) for Climate Action
What is CHAMP?
The Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) for Climate Action was created to enhance cooperation between national and subnational governments in the planning, financing, implementation, and monitoring of climate strategies. The official CHAMP website can be found here.
CHAMP was put forth by the COP28 Presidency in Dubai, and was ultimately signed by 72 endorsers at COP28. As of May 2026, 77 nations and the EU have endorsed CHAMP.
The CHAMP pledge was led by the COP28 Presidency, with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies and a coalition of partners including C40, the Global Covenant of Mayors, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the NDC Partnership, the University of Maryland, United Cities and Local Governments, Under2 Coalition, WRI – Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, and UN-Habitat.
Special invitation: LGMA briefing on CHAMP at COP29
COP29 marks one year since the launch of the Coalition for High Ambition Multi-level Partnerships (CHAMP). This webinar will cover objectives and messages for the LGMA on CHAMP during COP29, events that will take place, and how the LGMA constituency can support CHAMP’s continued success. There are two opportunities to attend the briefing on 31 October and 7 November at 13.30 UTC+1 and the briefings will be recorded for those who are not able to attend.
Is my country/Party a CHAMP endorser?
List of endorsing countries (as of May 2026):
| 1. Albania 2. Andorra 3. Antigua and Barbuda 4. Armenia 5. Australia 6. Azerbaijan 7. Bahamas 8. Bangladesh 9. Belgium 10. Bhutan 11. Bolivia 12. Brazil 13. Brunei Darussalam 14. Bulgaria 15. Burkina Faso 16. Cabo Verde 17. Canada 18. Chad 19. Chile 20. Colombia |
21. Costa Rica 22. Cote d’Ivoire 23. Denmark 24. Dominican Republic 25. El Salvador 26. Estonia 27. Eswatini 28. Ethiopia 29. EU 30. Finland 31. France 32. Germany 33. Ghana 34. Guatemala 35. Hungary 36. Iceland 37. Italy 38. Jamaica 39. Japan 40. Jordan 41. Kenya |
42. Kiribati 43. Kyrgyzstan 44. Lebanon 45. Lesotho 46. Mexico 47. Moldova 48. Mongolia 49. Morocco 50. Netherlands 51. Nicaragua 52. Nigeria 53. North Macedonia 54. Norway 55. Pakistan 56. Palau 57. Panama 58. Papua New Guinea 59. Paraguay 60. Philippines 61. Poland |
62. Portugal 63. Rwanda 64. Sant Vincent and the Grenadines 65. Serbia 66. Seychelles 67. Sierra Leone 68. South Korea 69. Sri Lanka 70. Sweden 71. Tunisia 72. Türkiye 73. Turkmenistan 74. UAE 75. Ukraine 76. United Kingdom 77. United States of America 78. Yemen |
New nations join CHAMP
Finland, the UK, and Tunisia have all endorsed CHAMP since COP28.
Kai Mykkänen, Finland’s Minister of Climate and the Environment, who announced the country’s endorsement of CHAMP during 2024 Climate Week in New York City, said, “By joining the CHAMP initiative we want to give our support to the work done at the regional level, both in Finland and globally.”
In Finland, the effort was spearheaded by Minister Mykkänen and Minna Arve, Mayor of Turku, Finland, and ICLEI First Vice President, the country’s endorsement of CHAMP shows that leaders at every level are working together to solve the climate emergency.
“Cities are on the frontline of the climate work, and I’m really proud that we already have in Finland very strong cooperation between the national government, regions, and cities, and this is a way to make it even more systemic,” said Mayor Arve.
What have CHAMP endorsers pledge to do?
As part of the pledge, endorsers committed to take up six actions – in ways determined by their own governments – including: 1) Consult with their respective subnational governments; 2) Work collaboratively with their respective subnational governments to review, design, enhancement, consolidation and implementation of their national commitments and strategies; 3) Create inclusive institutional and informal processes to enable subnational governments to contribute to further enhancing NDCs; 4) Include relevant subnational government projects in climate-related investment priorities; 5) Undertake regular, and inclusive country-led reviews of progress at national and subnational level around the implementation of CHAMP commitments; and 6) Meet with representative subnational leaders and other CHAMP endorsers in the lead up to both COP29 and COP30.
Endorsers are encouraged to cooperate with local and regional governments on their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and Long Term Low-Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS), to maximize climate action.
These commitments come with great urgency. The critically-important next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) drafts are due for submission to the UNFCCC in February 2025 and then final submissions are due by the end of 2025.
The LGMA supports the implementation of CHAMP
CHAMP supports decades of climate advocacy by the LGMA Constituency for multilevel climate action, as well as championing the bridging of urban and climate communities, and particularly complements progress at COP26 and COP27. Thus, the LGMA fully supports the basis for CHAMP’s approach – that by engaging local and other subnational governments, national governments can achieve more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by 2025.
At COP29, LGMA called on the COP Presidencies Troika to institutionalize subnational collaboration within the Paris Agreement framework, advancing LGMA’s vision of a fair, resilient transition that leaves no one behind.
As part of the ongoing support for the initiative, the LGMA has convened a working group on CHAMP that will help to advance the efforts of endorsers to implement their commitments.
Key resources on the implementation of CHAMP
Partner organizations from the LGMA are offering support to the endorsers of CHAMP and local and other subnational governments with tailored resources.
CHAMP Explainer
The Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) for Climate Action was created to enhance cooperation between national and subnational governments in the planning, financing, implementation, and monitoring of climate strategies.
CHAMP What can cities and regions do?
Your country’s commitment to CHAMP is an opportunity to request better recognition and support for your actions and maximise your impact on the livelihoods of your residents.
(Template) Open letter from local leaders to National Ministers
This template helps Mayors and local leaders to engage their CHAMP endorsing national governments, as an invitation to work together under the CHAMP opportunity.
The CHAMP opportunity: A toolkit for cities, towns, states and regions to take action on climate change
CHAMP creates a major opportunity for cities, towns, states and regions to secure climate investment and advance ambitious inclusive climate action on the ground.
CHAMP Summary of Activities 2024
The document summarizes the 2024 activities, progress, and key initiatives of CHAMP endorsers in advancing multilevel climate action and collaboration between governments.
Delivering CHAMP-Aligned NDC 3.0: Guidance for Endorsers
A high-level guidance brief for delivering enhanced NDCs incorporating strong subnational content and robust consultation with subnational governments – in line with the principles of the CHAMP Pledge.
CHAMP COP29 briefing, 2024: Understanding and promoting multi-level action
A year since its launch, the CHAMP is supporting more ambitious climate action by promoting dialogue and integrated policy-making between national and subnational (city, regional and state) governments.
How national governments can increase finance for subnational climate action
The document outlines strategies for national governments to enhance financing for subnational climate action in collaboration with various stakeholders to address urgent climate challenges.
LGMA – CHAMP COP29 briefing webinar
This webinar provides latest updates on the CHAMP initiative ahead of COP29 in Baku.
Powering collective action from Daring Cities to COP29 in Baku
In this Daring Cities 2024 session, Shelley Nania from Bristol City Council comments on the UK joining CHAMP.
Bloomberg Philanthropies, COP28, and World Resources Institute Host High-Level Political Dialogue to Accelerate Multilevel Climate Action and Deliver Ambitious NDCs
This CHAMP High-Level Political Dialogue focused on advancing national and subnational climate action and advancing more ambitious NDCs by 2025.
CHAMP EXPLAINED: Opportunities for Subnational-National Climate Partnerships
This webinar deep dives into what the COP28 launched CHAMP means for cities and regions.
4 Sept 2024
10:00 & 19:00 UTC+2
Online event
CHAMP & Town Hall COPs: Connecting local climate action to national and global goals
The session focused on implementing COP28’s CHAMP initiative for Climate Action and the Town Hall COPs, piloted in 2023 as “local stocktakes.”
31 July 2024
16:00 UTC+2
Online event
5th Monthly LGMA COP29 Webinar – 22 May (10:00 CEST session)
Part of the LGMA monthly webinar series, this session presents the CHAMP initiative and how it can empower subnational voices.
22 May 2024
10:00 UTC+2
Online event
Connecting the dots: Multilevel action from Daring Cities to COP29 and COP30
This session at Daring Cities 2024 aims to address how CHAMP is relevant to the climate emergency and how its implementation is critical as we move toward COP29 and even COP30.
30 April 2024
16:00 UTC+2
Online event
Operationalizing the Ministerial Meeting: Catalyzing urban transformation on the road to COP30
Hosted by ICLEI and UN-Habitat, this session discusses the 2nd Ministerial’s outcomes, where national Ministers, local leaders and other experts, committed to endorsed CHAMP.
6 Dec 2024
14:00 UTC+4
In-person event
From commitment to delivery: Financing multilevel action
Ahead of the second Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change, ICLEI and the GCoM delved into how global climate finance could translate into local climate action, and how CHAMP fits into the picture.
5 Dec 2024
14:30 UTC+4
In-person event
Multilevel climate action coalition welcomes Sweden and Bolivia
From Sweden’s clean-tech leadership to Bolivia’s holistic approach rooted in “Vivir Bien,” these endorsements reflect CHAMP’s growing global reach and diversity.
From fragmentation to structure: CHAMP helps scaling climate action across all levels
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.
National and subnational leaders unite to advance climate action
With LGMA representation from Lusaka Mayor Chilando Chitangala and ICLEI Secretary General Gino Van Begin, the session highlighted successful examples from Brazil, Kenya, and Colombia.
On the road to COP30: Reflecting on how multilevel action can strengthen national climate plans
Amid weakened multilateralism and mixed outcomes from COP29, many subnational actors are stepping up in the face of an international climate leadership void.
LGMA letter to the COP Presidencies Troika
The letter addresses the COP Presidencies Troika, highlighting key developments and collaborative opportunities for advancing CHAMP and the role of subnational governments within the UNFCCC process.
Finland joins CHAMP initiative, becoming the 73rd nation to endorse the multilevel climate pledge
Spearheaded by Turku Mayor and ICLEI First Vice President Minna Arve, the initiative aims to enhance cooperation between national, regional, and local governments in Finland and beyond.
U.S. cities are raising climate ambition through subnational diplomacy
The U.S. Conference of Mayors recently adopted a resolution urging cities to update their climate targets and collaborate with the federal government, following the U.S.’s endorsement of CHAMP at COP28.
Cities can bring CHAMP to life
In response to Bonn Mayor Dörner’s call during the ICLEI World Congress 2024, national associations of local governments in Germany, Brazil, and the U.S. have pledged to CHAMP, pioneering a global movement to push for stronger local involvement in national climate plans.
Call to support multilevel climate action
Mayor Katja Dörner of Bonn, Germany announced a call-to-action inviting subnational leaders to proactively approach their national governments and national associations of local governments for multilevel NDCs by 2025
Cities and regions step up multilevel climate action momentum at SB60
Running alongside the SB60 sessions on 3-5 June, Daring Cities 2024 Bonn Dialogues included a CHAMP endorsers roundtable and the first joint public dialogue between UN High-Level Climate Champions.
CHAMP endorsers strategize together at Daring Cities roundtable
Part of Daring Cities 2024, a dedicated roundtable discussed progress of CHAMP on enhancing cooperation between national and local governments, emphasizing the need to integrate local efforts into national plans and the NDCs.
Multilevel action and urbanization: Safeguarding the delivery of multilateral environmental agreements
This ICLEI’s UNEA-6 side event discussed the implementation of CHAMP and the key role of subnational governments for all national and global goals.
Further support for CHAMP
During June 2024, we saw the release of the Call-to-Action to support national CHAMP implementation, with the Association of German Cities (DST), Brazil’s national association of cities (FNP) and the United States Conference of Mayors as the first responders.
Contact us
For any question or information, contact us at champ@gcomprojectsupport.org
