Michael R. Bloomberg Launches Next Era of Local Leadership to Formalize Role of Cities, States, and Regions in Global Climate Action

$168 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies will scale subnational climate leadership through multilevel climate partnerships, strengthen city and state coalitions, and unlock investment to turbocharge climate action

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and Founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, today announced a new $168 million commitment from Bloomberg Philanthropies to usher in the next era of local climate leadership and multilevel collaboration worldwide. The announcement, made at the COP30 Local Leaders Forum, marks a decisive shift for cities, states, and regions, evolving from independent testbeds of climate action to global partners driving implementation at scale. 

Following a decade of progress, mayors and subnational leaders – often the level of government closest to residents and the impacts of climate change – are finally recognized for being at the forefront of the world’s response. Now, as national governments align their climate plans and financing strategies with local priorities, the foundation has been set. With Bloomberg Philanthropies’ new commitment, the next chapter begins: a decisive phase of collaboration that unites every level of government to turn ambition into action.

“Climate progress will not only be measured in conference rooms – but on our streets, in our cities and regions everywhere,” said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. “Local leaders are the first responders to the climate emergency: cutting emissions, cleaning the air, building resilient infrastructure and public transport, and creating good green jobs.  We need all hands on deck to turn national climate pledges into local results – by equipping cities and regions with the finance and tools to act now.”

“Mayors and governors are showing the world that cities and states can lead the way when it comes to fighting climate change,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and Founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies. “This investment will unlock new opportunities for leaders — in Brazil and around the world — as they partner with national governments, scale data-driven, proven solutions that cut emissions, and build a stronger and healthier world.”

Building on Bloomberg Philanthropies’ over $770 million committed to date to advance local climate progress, this effort will ensure C40 and the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) have core support to power the networks driving the next wave of climate action. Answering the COP30 Presidency’s call for a Global Mutirão to mobilize urgent, collective action, this investment will focus on five pillars:

1. Uniting National and Local Governments on Climate Action. Momentum is growing as national governments work more closely with cities and states to deliver on climate goals. With 77 countries having joined the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnership (CHAMP), the initiative enters a new phase of collaboration between levels of government. Through CHAMP, countries are helping to ensure local priorities are built into national climate and finance plans. Working with the World Resources Institute, the NDC Partnership, and GCoM, this effort is accelerating progress in key areas including energy, transport, and adaptation. In the United States, support for America Is All In will deepen coordination among cities, states, and other subnationals through shared data, policy innovation, and joint action.
2. Expanding Access to Climate Finance for Local Projects. With trillions needed to fund subnational climate action, Bloomberg Philanthropies will build on recent work to solve the unique climate finance needs of cities and regions, helping them move from planning to investment by mobilizing public and private capital for projects on the ground. In partnership with the Catalytic Cities Finance Foundation and the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA), this work will expand municipal capacity, improve access to technical assistance, and connect cities to financing. New investment pathways and de-risking opportunities will help local governments turn climate plans into bankable clean-energy, transport, and resilience projects.
3. Bolstering Climate Data & Research. New support will strengthen how cities collect, share, and use data to guide climate action—helping leaders measure progress and manage pollution more effectively, even where national assistance is lacking. Expanded tools and research will provide local governments with better access to information, enabling them to track emissions, assess risks, and target investments more effectively. Greater consistency across reporting systems and national platforms will help cities build transparent, evidence-based, and finance-ready climate plans.
4. Empowering Brazil’s Cities and States as a Global Model for Climate Progress. New investment will utilize multilevel partnerships, innovative financing, and data-driven research to support 50 Brazilian cities in implementing projects that reduce emissions, mitigate methane from waste, transition to electric transport, and strengthen resilience. In the Amazon, municipalities will lead new Climate Action Plans on sustainable mobility, clean energy, and urban adaptation. Led by C40, GCoM, and the National Front of Mayors (FNP) with the federal government and partners including WRI Brazil, ICLEI South America, and the Brazilian Association of Municipalities (ABM), this work is positioning Brazil’s cities as a global model for multilevel climate leadership. In parallel, funding will support nine Northeast Brazilian states, in partnership with Instituto Clima e Sociedade (iCS), the Consortium of Northeast States, and the Northeast Development Bank, to accelerate the region’s energy transition and industrial decarbonization—leveraging its clean-energy advantage to attract new industries, expand green manufacturing, and promote inclusive growth.
5. Young People and City Halls – An Alliance That Breaks New Ground. Bloomberg Philanthropies – in collaboration with the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins, United Cities and Local Governments, and C40 Cities – will expand its Youth Climate Action Fund, reopening the program for up to 300 city halls. Participating local governments will each receive $50,000 and technical assistance to launch open innovation competitions and mobilize young people ages 15-24 to design, develop, and implement solutions that meet pressing local needs aligned to city climate goals. Municipalities that respond to the urgency of the moment and commit the initial $50,000 within one year will receive an additional $50,000 to support more youth-driven projects. To date, the Youth Climate Action Fund has supported 100 municipalities from around the world in working with over 100,000 young residents to create 250 green spaces, build 118 composting stations, plant over 150,000 trees and native plants, design 3,000 community gardens, and collect more than 325,000 pounds of trash and recyclables—delivering tangible results for their communities. Alongside, participating mayors and city officials are pioneering the next generation of citizen engagement: marshalling the talent and energy of young people who now see their local government as not the problem – but their partner – in solving the issues they care most about.

“The leadership of cities and local governments worldwide proves that local action is at the heart of global climate progress,” said Ana Toni, COP30 Executive Director. “The active participation of subnational leaders accelerates the implementation of the Paris Agreement, unlocking new opportunities for innovation and scaling up adaptation strategies. Our success depends on transforming global consensus into tangible, community-driven change for a healthier, more resilient, and low-carbon future.”

Today’s announcement builds on Bloomberg Philanthropies’ long-standing support for city and regional networks that help local leaders cut pollution, strengthen resilience, and deliver measurable health and economic benefits. It also continues Mike Bloomberg’s decades-long efforts to elevate local leadership in Brazil and around the world – from first bringing mayors together at Rio+20 in 2012 and supporting hundreds of city leaders in convening and setting ambitious targets outside of COP21 in Paris, to hosting a first-of-its-kind Local Climate Action Summit with the COP28 Presidency and supporting the Urban20 Summit during Brazil’s G20 Presidency last year. 

“In this new era, we need to bring the formal climate process closer to real economies everywhere, to accelerate implementation and spread more of the vast benefits of climate action to billions more people.  So the role of cities, states and regions will be more crucial than ever,” said Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change. “Local leaders have shown they can move fast and deliver real results — locally, nationally, and beyond. This new initiative will strengthen efforts by countries to integrate local actions into their national climate plans and help unlock the finance needed to turn commitments into actions and outcomes on the ground.  This work is vital, as working across every level of government is essential to accelerate implementation of the Paris Agreement.

“Cities are home to more than half of humanity and responsible for the majority of global emissions—but they are also where climate solutions have the greatest impact,” said Anacláudia Rossbach, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). “This investment recognizes that sustainable urbanization and climate action must go hand in hand. By empowering local leaders with the partnerships, financing, and tools they need, we can build the urban transition with cities that are not only low-carbon and resilient, but also inclusive and equitable.”

Over the past decade, that work has helped transform local climate leadership from an emerging movement into a driving force for global progress. Through networks such as C40 and GCoM, local governments have reduced pollution, strengthened resilience, and delivered measurable economic and health gains. Since 2010, C40 has grown from 57 to 97 member cities, and GCoM from 7,100 to more than 13,700 local governments. Cities are now outpacing national governments in cutting emissions and adopting Paris-aligned plans.

“As Co-Chair of C40, I’ve seen firsthand how cities around the world are proving that climate action delivers results,” said Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, and C40 Cities Co-Chair. “From Freetown to Rio de Janeiro, we are showing that local leadership is key in driving transformative change. This new commitment will help us strengthen our networks, share what works, and ensure that cities on the frontlines of the climate crisis have the resources to protect their residents while driving global progress.”

“Cities are not just asking for support—we are offering solutions and ready to be true partners in tackling the impacts of climate change,” said Joy Belmonte, Mayor of Quezon City, Philippines. “This investment recognizes the significant progress local leaders have already made, and with added support and partnership, we’ll continue driving the innovation and on-the-ground action needed to help national governments meet their climate targets and deliver real benefits for our communities.”

“As Chair of Climate Mayors, I’ve seen how cities across America are stepping up—investing in clean energy, creating good jobs, and building resilient communities,” Kate Gallego, Mayor of Phoenix, United States, and Chair of Climate Mayors, said. “From Phoenix to cities on every continent, we’re proving that local action drives national progress. This new phase of work will strengthen this network and accelerate the transition to clean energy, expanded economic opportunity, and a healthier, more prosperous future for our residents.”

“Thousands of governments in our ICLEI network are proving that sustainable development starts locally,” said Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Mayor of Malmö, Sweden, and President of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. “This new phase of work strengthens that global movement and ensures that local voices have a seat in the climate negotiations, helping shape the policies and partnerships needed to build resilient communities.”

“Cities have consistently shown that we are the doers, not the delayers, when it comes to tackling the climate crisis,” said Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London and Co-Chair of C40 Cities. “With Mike Bloomberg’s leadership and Bloomberg Philanthropies’ continued support, we are demonstrating real, tangible change as we work hand in hand with national governments to deliver cleaner air, cleaner water, and a healthier future for all.”

“For too long, the world has spoken about the Amazon without truly listening to those of us who live here,” said Igor Normando, Mayor of Belém, Brazil. “The Amazon is not just forest and river—it is made of cities, of people, of voices that dream and work for change. As the host city of COP30, Belém has the opportunity to show that protecting the Amazon means investing in its people, its neighborhoods, and its future. This partnership strengthens the vital role of subnational governments in turning climate ambition into real transformation.”

“For more than a decade, Rio has been proud to work alongside Bloomberg Philanthropies and Mike Bloomberg to show how cities can lead on climate,” said Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “As President of the Brazilian National Front of Mayors (FNP), this new investment to empower our cities and states will help us scale what works, share lessons across Brazil, and turn city-led innovation into national and global progress.”

“Hobart is already experiencing the impacts of climate change, from extreme weather to threats to our natural environment,” said Anna Reynolds, Lord Mayor of Hobart, Australia. “Cities of all sizes, in every corner of the world, can learn from one another and lead the way in building safer and more sustainable communities. This continued partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies helps make that collaboration possible.”

“Local and regional leaders translate climate ambition into action that benefits their communities every single day,” said 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. “By empowering those leaders to deliver solutions that create jobs, improve air quality, and build competitive economies, this funding accelerates the green transition while bringing climate solutions to those at the forefront of its impacts.”

States and regions have followed suit, proving that subnational action can raise national ambition. Through the Under2 Coalition, governments representing more than half of the global economy have committed to deep emissions cuts and are driving policy innovation across sectors. In the United States, America Is All In has mobilized hundreds of cities, states, tribes, businesses, and institutions to advance national climate goals from the ground up—showing how collective local action can deliver both national and global impact.

“States, cities, and businesses are laser-focused on strengthening our economy, cutting pollution, and meeting our international climate commitments,” said Gina McCarthy, First White House National Climate Advisor, 13th U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, and Managing Co-Chair of America Is All In. “This critical investment will ensure that local leaders can deliver the clean energy and climate action we need to lower energy costs, add clean power to the grid, and make their communities healthier, safer, and more resilient.”

“Regional governments can drive both climate action and economic opportunity simultaneously,” said Alan Winde, Premier of Western Cape, South Africa, and Co-Chair of the Under2 Coalition. “Regions like ours will use this investment to expand clean energy, create quality jobs, build resilience and prove to the world that the transition to a low-carbon future delivers shared prosperity for all our communities.”

This growing wave of local leadership has also reshaped the global climate process itself. Mayors and governors played a more formal role in UN climate discussions at COP28 in Dubai and COP29 in Baku—a landmark shift reinforced by the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnership (CHAMP), now endorsed by more than 70 countries representing over half of global GDP and emissions. 

“Cities are frontrunners in delivering solutions that both cut emissions and improve lives now,” said Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO of World Resources Institute. “We’re already seeing how this impact can scale when cities work together with their regional and national governments in Brazil and around the world. This kind of collaboration is crucial to unlock one-third of the potential emissions reductions we need in cities. By doubling down on what’s working, we can transform a decade of local progress into a foundation for system changes toward a more just and prosperous global economy.”

Together, these coalitions and leaders have built the capacity, credibility, and results that make this new stage of multilevel climate leadership possible—paving the way for faster, stronger, and more coordinated action in the years ahead. 

“Moving from climate planning to implementation requires innovative financing and strong partnerships,” said David Albertani, CEO of the Catalytic Finance Foundation. “Through blended finance and technical assistance, we’ve seen how local leadership can create the right conditions to mobilize capital for climate action. This investment will help cities strengthen their project pipelines and expand access to financing for solutions that deliver real benefits to their communities.”

“This transformative investment recognizes that local governments are not just first responders to climate risk—they are architects of global solutions,” said Andy Deacon, Co-Managing Director of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM). “With Bloomberg Philanthropies’ continued support, the Global Covenant of Mayors will continue empowering tens of thousands of cities and local governments to scale up proven climate action, unlock new sources of finance, and build healthier, more resilient communities.”

“Cities, states and regions are driving climate action: investing in renewable energy and sustainable public transport, improving air quality, expanding water supply and sanitation, and promoting socioeconomic sustainable development,” said Dan Ioschpe, Climate High-Level Champion for COP30. “In Brazil, we’re seeing local leaders and the organizations that support them scaling subnational leadership while accelerating progress on the ground.”

“What gives me hope is seeing leaders from smaller economies not just at the table, but leading the conversation,” said Christiana Figueres, Founding Partner of Global Optimism and former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. “Mike Bloomberg’s leadership has been instrumental in getting us to this point—building the momentum, partnerships, and accountability that have defined the past decade of climate progress. This next era is about implementation, and it must empower the voices that have been calling for climate justice for decades, ensuring that action is guided by both the wisdom and urgency of those on the frontlines.”

“The Paris Agreement succeeded because it recognized that progress must happen at every level of government,” said Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation, Special Envoy for COP30 to Europe, Dean of the Paris Climate School at Sciences Po, France’s former Climate Change Ambassador and Special Representative for COP21, and COP22 UN High-Level Champion for Climate Action. “Ten years later, we need that same spirit of partnership and courage to turn national commitments into local implementation—and that’s exactly what this new funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies will support.”

“Twenty years on from our founding, C40’s mission could not be more vital and the support we have received from Bloomberg Philanthropies has never been more important. Mike Bloomberg’s long standing support for C40 and other initiatives driving local climate action is a game-changer for cities around the world,” said Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities. “This investment will directly help cities build resilient infrastructure, create green jobs, and deliver cleaner air for millions. Local leadership is shaping global change – with C40 cities presenting a model for climate progress worldwide.”

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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, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.

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