The Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency is launching its first five thematic Working Groups, marking a significant step forward in how the Constituency organizes its collective voice in global climate negotiations.
Covering Adaptation, Climate Finance, Communications, Just Transition, and Loss & Damage, the Working Groups will bring together experts and representatives from across the LGMA’s member networks to develop coordinated thematic positions, prepare submissions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and support the Constituency’s year-round engagement in international climate processes. They operate under a recently established LGMA Steering Committee, which provides strategic oversight and ensures coherence across the Constituency’s advocacy work.
This structural development reflects a deliberate effort to make the LGMA more effective, more inclusive, and more transparent in how it develops and delivers its advocacy. Rather than relying solely on ad hoc coordination at key moments such as the Conference of Parties (COP), the Working Groups create a sustained, year-round structure that draws on the full breadth of expertise within the Constituency, from municipal finance specialists and adaptation practitioners to communications professionals and just transition advocates.
The Working Groups were established through an open call for Expressions of Interest, which generated more than 65 applications from member organizations across the world. The strong response reflects the depth of engagement and commitment within the Constituency, and the diversity of perspectives that the Working Groups will bring to the LGMA’s advocacy positions.
The Climate Finance Working Group will be co-led by Carlos de Freitas, Executive Director of FMDV – Global Fund for Cities Development, and Esteban Tomé Fuentes of the Buenos Aires City Government, Argentina.
The Just Transition Working Group will be led by Marta Stencel, Senior Manager Global Leadership at C40 Cities.
Leadership for the Adaptation, Communications, and Loss & Damage Working Groups is being finalized and will be announced shortly. All Working Groups are expected to be fully operational ahead of the Bonn Climate Talks in June 2026.
Each Working Group will operate under the LGMA Working Groups Terms of Reference, which set out clear responsibilities for co-leads and participants, including drafting thematic inputs to the LGMA Advocacy Position, preparing written submissions, identifying representatives for UNFCCC interventions, and reporting to the Steering Committee.
The Working Groups will deliver their first thematic inputs ahead of the Bonn Climate Talks, with finalized positions due in August to feed into the LGMA Advocacy Position ahead of COP31 in Türkiye.
The launch of the Working Groups builds on the LGMA’s growing influence in international climate governance. At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the Constituency’s Joint Position was endorsed by more than 50 local and subnational government networks; an unprecedented show of unity. The Working Groups are designed to sustain and deepen that collective momentum throughout the year, ensuring the LGMA arrives at every major climate moment with coordinated, evidence-based positions that reflect the full breadth of the Constituency.
More information on the Working Groups is available on the Terms of Reference and the results of the Expressions of Interest process.
