Bonn Climate Change Conference
From Belém to Bonn: Putting implementation to the test
Every June, climate negotiators gather in Bonn for the mid-year sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies. These talks are where COP decisions are translated into workplans, outstanding issues resolved, and the political direction for the next COP begins to take shape.
SB64 arrives at a critical moment. Following COP30 in Belém, the global climate process has entered an implementation phase, with NDCs 3.0 in motion, the Just Transition Mechanism newly established, and the COP30 Presidency Roadmaps on fossil fuel transition and deforestation still being shaped. Meanwhile, the COP31 Presidency of Türkiye is beginning to set its agenda.
For local and subnational governments, Belém delivered mixed results. Recognition advanced, but the mandated framework that would formally place cities, states and regions at the heart of implementation did not materialize. SB64 is the first opportunity to begin closing that gap.
What the LGMA is watching for at SB64
Just transition: Subnational governments must be in the room
The Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) and the newly established Just Transition Mechanism are both active at SB64. Across its submissions to both processes, the LGMA’s core demand is consistent: subnational governments must have an equal seat in the Mechanism’s governance, and the final JTWP outcome must include explicit reference to multilevel governance and the role of cities and regions. COP30 omitted this language from paragraph 12 of the JTWP decision. SB64 is the moment to correct that.
Climate finance: Subnationals need direct, predictable access
The Climate Finance Work Programme will hold a non-Party stakeholder engagement session at SB64. The LGMA’s message is straightforward: Advances in scaling climate finance will only deliver impact if they reach the governments on the frontlines of implementation. Subnational governments need direct, programmatic, and accessible pathways to climate finance, not indirect mentions in national frameworks.
Multilevel governance and urbanization: Consolidating the gains
Following COP30, multilevel governance language is now embedded in several UNFCCC outcomes. The LGMA will work to deepen these references through its interventions across negotiation tracks, including the GST-NDC Dialogue and consultations with the incoming COP31 Presidency. With CHAMP now counting 78 national endorsers, representing 36% of the global population, the model for co-developing more ambitious NDCs with subnational governments is ready to scale.
Fossil fuel transition: Local action needs a multilevel roadmap
A dedicated session at SB64 will gather inputs on the COP30 Presidency Roadmap on transitioning away from fossil fuels. For the LGMA, the most effective transition pathway is inherently multilevel, connecting local communities, subnational governments, and national authorities in a coherent framework. Cities, states and regions must also be supported in developing their own fossil fuel phase-out plans, aligned with NDC reviews. The transition is already happening at the local level; the Roadmap must reflect and leverage that momentum.
| 8 Jun, Mon | 9 Jun, Tue | 10 Jun, Wed | 11 Jun, Thu | 12 Jun, Fri | 13 Jun, Sat | 15–18 Jun | |
| Official SB64 | Opening plenary (LGMA statement) | Action Agenda launch; Veredas Dialogue (Part 1) | UAE Dialogue on GST (Day 1); Veredas Dialogue (Part 2) | UAE Dialogue on GST (Day 2); COP31 Presidency townhall with observers | Climate Finance workshop; Fossil fuels roadmap session; Belém Mission to 1.5 consultation | ES townhall with observers | Expectations for COP31 (LGMA intervention); GST-NDC Dialogue; Closing plenary |
| LGMA | LGMA SB64 briefing | LGMA Press Conference (TBC)
Daring Cities Plenary |
LGMA Joint Position consultation; Local Climate Action and Health roundtable | ICLEI-UN Habitat side event | |||
| COP30 Presidency / Incoming Presidency | Action Agenda launch | CHAMP focal points dialogue | COP31 Presidency townhall | Fossil fuels roadmap session; Belém Mission to 1.5 | COP31 logistical briefing | Open-ended consultations on COP31; Bilateral with incoming COP31 Presidency |
LGMA submissions to SB64 processes
The LGMA has submitted formal views to several processes active at SB64:
- Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) — February 2026: Views on elevating the ambition of the JTWP key statements and operationalizing the Just Transition Mechanism, with a focus on multilevel governance and a just transition away from fossil fuels.
- Just Transition Mechanism — March 2026: Detailed proposals on governance, functions and thematic priorities for the new Mechanism, calling for an equal seat for subnational governments from the outset.
- JTWP 5th Dialogue — April 2026: Views on just transition pathways for food security, agriculture and oceans, highlighting the role of urban and regional food systems.
- COP30 Presidency Roadmap on the transition away from fossil fuels — 2026: Subnational case studies and recommendations for a multilevel fossil fuel transition framework.
- COP30 Presidency Roadmap on halting and reversing deforestation — 2026: Recommendations on multilevel forest governance, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and subnational implementation.
Key LGMA points
Multilevel governance and urbanization are now embedded in global climate action. Under the COP28 Global Stocktake, paragraph 63 refers to resilient cities; paragraph 161 refers to multilevel action; and COP29 Mitigation Work Program Outcomes formulate mitigation in urban systems.
CHAMP, launched at COP28, is gaining ground as countries begin incorporating local and subnational voices in national strategies.
New national climate plans (NDC 3.0) must be co-developed with local and subnational actors. Initiatives like Town Hall COPs and Subnational Transition Plans supports these dialogues and will be featured prominently at SB62.
Daring Cities 2026 Bonn Dialogues
Held alongside SB64 from 10–12 June, the Daring Cities 2026 Bonn Dialogues bring together local and regional leaders, national governments, and global partners to engage directly with the policy processes and implementation challenges being discussed in the negotiating rooms.
This year’s Dialogues are organized around the defining challenges of the post-COP30 moment: advancing NDC 3.0 implementation through multilevel action; building momentum ahead of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities, expected in 2027; and strengthening the finance, partnerships and governance needed to scale what is already working.
The Daring Cities 2026 Bonn Dialogues include the LGMA Joint Position consultation, which will shape the Constituency’s priorities for COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.
