Over the past two years, local and subnational governments have been strongly recognized in various outcome documents and UNFCCC processes, including the Glasgow Climate Pact, Global Stocktake Party submissions, and final outputs to the G7, African Climate Summit, Amazon Summit, UN Climate Action Summit 2023 Chairs Summary, and beyond. COP28 and the conclusion of the first Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement will usher in a new era of climate action — focused on implementation. From these recognitions, it is clear that multilevel action will be a core feature of this new era. We recognize and commend the efforts of LGMA partners who championed our role each step of the way.
As we head into COP28, let us continue this momentum. Local and subnational governments will several key moments in the COP28 agenda, including: the Local Climate Action Summit (1 to 2 December) and the Second Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization & Climate Change (6 December), with programming and interventions spanning the full two weeks of COP. Join us as we call on national governments to commit to multilevel action in the next round of NDC submissions and promote Stocktake4ClimateEmergency local stocktakes as a means to achieve these commitments.
The Local Climate Action Summit, hosted by the COP28 Presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies, aims to bring together hundreds of national and subnational climate leaders to transform climate finance, enhance global action, fast-track the energy transition, and strengthen resilience and adaptation at the local level. The LCAS website, agenda and livestream link are now accessible online.
The second Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization & Climate Change will convene on 6 December at COP28. Ministers of Housing, Urban Development, Environment and/or Finance, local and regional leaders, financial institutions, and relevant non-government stakeholders will discuss accelerated local climate finance. Engagement of subnational leaders is facilitated through LGMA constituency.
The Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion is the global stage for cities and regions at COP28. The pavilion agenda and livestream are accessible at on the Pavilion's webpage.
The LGMA's COP28 position calls on the Parties to the Paris Agreement to act on ten key requests, including formalizing subnational voices in the UNFCCC COP agenda, applying vertical integration, addressing the links between climate change and nature and biodiversity loss. The statement will be announced with endorsing organizations at the LGMA COP28 Press Conference on 30 November.
In an open letter sent to the COP28 UAE Presidency, UN Climate Change, The World Bank, and High-Level Climate Champions ahead of COP28, mayors, governors, and leaders of subnational sustainability networks are calling for full-scale coordination between local, regional, and national leaders to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement. Photo Credit: UNFCCC
Under the banner of #Stocktake4ClimateEmergency, 20+ cities in 18 countries hosted local stocktakes as official input to the Global Stocktake. Read about the Rosario, Denver and Hoboken stocktakes and the initiative's key messaging for COP28. The LGMA will present the stocktake key messages at the COP28 Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion on 4 December 9:00-9:30.
Whether you are in-person in Dubai, or tuning in from around the world, register for daily updates from COP28, including exclusive coverage of the city and region climate agenda, live session webcasts from the Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion, announcements and interviews of local and subnational actors on climate action.
To guide the LGMA in its COP28 efforts, the LGMA focal point has prepared a list of references to local and subnational governments in various outcome documents and UNFCCC processes since COP27. Here you will find excerpts from Party submissions for the Global Stocktake final outputs, the LGMA position, and more.
At the November LGMA webinar, COP28 Presidency Inclusion & Constituency Engagement Specialist Asif Nawaz Shah shared the Local Climate Action Summit agenda and background information. Watch the webinar to hear his remarks.
