Thousands of Local Leaders Gather in Rio to Turbocharge Global Climate Action Ahead of COP30

November 5, 2025

Environment

Three-day forum hosted by COP30 Presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies brought together hundreds of mayors, governors, and regional champions ahead of COP30 in Belém

The Local Climate Action Summit unveiled the COP30 Local Leaders Forum Outcome Statement, calling on heads of state at COP30 to partner on three solutions to power a decade of transformative climate action

Photos available here

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Today in Rio de Janeiro, the three-day COP30 Local Leaders Forum concluded with the Local Climate Action Summit (LCAS), where local and regional leaders unveiled the Local Leaders Joint Outcome Statement—a declaration of support from more than 14,000 cities, towns, states, regions, and provinces across every continent, affirming their collective commitment to advancing real, on-the-ground climate solutions.

Co-hosted by the COP30 Presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Forum brought together nearly 3,000 mayors, governors, and subnational leaders from over 120 countries for more than 60 sessions of dialogue, partnership-building, and solution-sharing. Chaired by a distinguished group of local and global leaders, the gathering marked a pivotal moment in the effort to embed local leadership at the heart of international climate negotiations and action.

The Summit featured Mayor Sadiq Khan, Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Governor Lujan Grisham, and Governor Raquel Lyra, among others. Emceed by Bloomberg Green’s Akshat Rathi, LCAS opened with remarks from Bloomberg Philanthropies CEO Patricia E. Harris and United Nations Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, followed by insights from Brazil’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Marina Silva, Climate High-Level Champion for COP30 Dan Ioschpe, and European Commission Executive Vice-President and Global Covenant of Mayors Co-Chair Teresa Ribera.

During the Summit, Michael R. Bloomberg, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies, announced a new $168 million commitment to strengthen local climate leadership and expand collaboration across all levels of government worldwide.

Michael R. Bloomberg said, “Today, I’m glad to announce that we’re making a new investment of $168 million to help speed up progress that local leaders are making in the fight against climate change. That funding will support more collaboration, spread proven solutions, strengthen partnerships with national governments, and provide the funding that local governments need to deliver results.”

Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio and President of the Brazilian National Front of Mayors (FNP), said: “Over the last three days, our mayors and local governments have shown just how much they can deliver immediate transformations. Bloomberg’s announcement of $80 million in funding for electric buses will help us replace our fleet and accelerate progress. Through this collaboration—and the proven ability of local leaders to implement real change—we will convey a very important message to world leaders in Belém.”

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, United Kingdom, and C40 Cities Co-Chair, said: “As we look ahead to Belém, we—the world’s mayors—have shown national governments what bold, ambitious climate action can achieve. Together, C40 cities have helped create 21 million good green jobs and cut air pollution for over 100 million people. Here in Rio, we’re setting our ambitions even higher, because we know that a better future isn’t just possible—if we can find the courage to seize the opportunities before us, it’s ours for the taking.”

Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, underscored the significance of the Outcome Statement: “It is time to take a new step forward. We invite all the leaders present to give concrete expression to this new collective commitment. Ten years after Paris, the world is looking to Belém, full of hope. Today, we have the opportunity to write a new page.”

Simon Stiell, United Nations Climate Change Executive Secretary, embraced the spirit of the Outcome Statement, stating, “We need to bring our COP process closer to the real economy.” A crucial part of doing this is accelerating actions at the local and regional level to spread more of the vast benefits of climate action to billions more people.

Marina Silva, Brazil’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, emphasized the need for coordinated action: “Cities, communities, and vulnerable people can no longer solve this problem at the local level only. The federal government has to work together with the state and local level governments.”

Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, and Co-Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors, elevated local leadership: “The good news from these three days in Rio is that the green transition is moving forward on the ground where it matters most for the people. This is why local leadership is indispensable to this transition. Local action changes daily lives. It is tangible. It is visible. It builds trust. It empowers us to do more.”

Patricia E. Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies, reflecting on a decade of momentum that began in 2012 at Rio+20, where Mike Bloomberg and Mayor Paes first called for cities to be included in international climate negotiations, said: “Over the past few days at the COP30 Local Leaders Forum, we’ve hosted a series of events focused on mayors and governors. Today, as we bring everyone together to collaborate and share ideas, we mark the culmination of our recent efforts and take another important step forward on a road that, in many ways, started right here.”

Building on the momentum of previous local leaders’ convenings co-hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies—including the COP28 Local Climate Action Summit—the Local Leaders Forum brought together dynamic discussions focused on accelerating city and state climate action, strengthening multilevel partnerships, and unlocking finance for urban transformation. Across three days, the Forum saw major research released, new initiatives launched, and significant funding commitments announced.

Forum highlights and key announcements included:

Brazil E-Bus Credit Enhancement Fund: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Brazil’s Ministry of Cities and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, BTG Pactual, the Mitigation Action Facility, and WRI Brasil launched a first-of-its-kind EUR 80 million Brazil E-Bus Credit Enhancement Fund to mobilize and deploy more than 1,700 electric buses across Brazil by 2030.
2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Local Leaders Climate Awards: Twelve projects were honored for outstanding climate leadership at the Local Leaders Climate Awards, underscoring the power of local innovation. Learn more about the Awards winners here.
Global Methane Hub Announces $10 Million Investment: At the 2025 C40 World Mayors Summit, building on the success of C40’s Sustainable Waste Systems Accelerator, the Global Methane Hub announced a new $10 million investment in Latin American and Caribbean cities to support cutting methane emissions from waste.
European Union Endorses CHAMP: The EU formally endorses the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP). Launched at COP28 in 2023, CHAMP brings together national and subnational governments to enhance cooperation in designing and implementing national climate plans, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
C40 20th Anniversary Progress Report: C40 launched its 20th anniversary report at the C40 World Mayors Summit, showcasing two decades of city-led climate action. The retrospective charts C40’s growth from its origins at the 2005 G20 Summit to a global network driving climate solutions in nearly 100 major cities.
U.S. Climate Alliance Annual Report: The U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of governors representing approximately 55% of the U.S. population and 60% of the U.S. economy, released its latest annual report. The report highlights record reductions of pollution by its members, and outlines a path to save Americans trillions of dollars through continued climate action, while also promoting economic growth.
Amazon Cities Forum: With support from the Inter-American Development Bank’s Amazonia Forever program, mayors from the Amazon Cities Forum agreed on concrete steps to advance sustainable urban development in the region. During the event, IDB also launched a report called “Cities in Amazonia: People and Nature in Harmony,” which highlights the importance of cities in protecting the rainforest.

The COP30 Local Leaders Forum in Rio de Janeiro set the stage for COP30 in Belém. Supported by leading networks, including: Amazon Cities Forum, America Is All In, Breathe Cities, C40 Cities, Cities & Regions in the UNFCCC Process, Climate Mayors, European Climate Foundation, European Committee of the Regions, GCF Taskforce, Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM), Green Brazil Consortium, ICLEI, Institute for Climate and Society (iCS), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), National Front of Mayors (FNP), Regions4, Under2 Coalition, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), UN-Habitat, United States Climate Alliance, World Resources Institute (WRI).

For more information about the Forum or to access key reports and announcements, please visit: https://www.bloomberg.org/cop30-local-leaders-forum/

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About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.7 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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