Strengthening Local Governments in Climate Action Ahead of COP30

Position paper: Governance and Economic Policy Centre

 Introduction: The Local Nexus of Climate Action

Local Government Authorities (LGAs) are the closest level of governance to communities, charged with delivering essential services and implementing national policies at the grassroots. Their proximity to citizens makes them vital actors in addressing the localized impacts of climate change. However, despite their strategic role in adaptation and resilience-building, LGAs remain underrepresented in global climate policy and under-resourced in implementation.

As the world approaches COP30 in Brazil, which marks the halfway point to achieving the 2030 Paris Agreement goals, recognizing and empowering local governments is critical for translating global climate pledges into tangible local actions.

The Role of Local Governments in Climate Change Response

Climate change impacts—heatwaves, floods, droughts, and food insecurity—are experienced most acutely at the local level. Local governments possess unique knowledge of territorial vulnerabilities, socioeconomic conditions, and local adaptive capacities. They influence resilience through land-use planning, infrastructure regulation, and enforcement of environmental standards.

Local authorities play three major roles in climate response:

1. Mitigation: Regulating emissions through energy efficiency programs, green building codes, and sustainable mobility initiatives.
2. Adaptation: Managing land use, disaster risk reduction, and climate-sensitive infrastructure planning.
3. Transition to Clean Energy: Promoting renewable energy solutions and expanding access to clean cooking and off-grid energy, especially in rural communities.

Yet, their contributions are constrained by limited funding, inadequate technical skills, and weak institutional mandates.

Local Governments and Global Climate Negotiations

At global forums such as the UNFCCC Conferences of the Parties (COPs), local governments participate only through observer status—primarily via the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) constituency. While they have organized town hall dialogues and local “Mini-COPs,” their influence on formal decision-making remains minimal.

The exclusion of local voices from climate negotiations undermines policy coherence and weakens implementation. National commitments under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) often fail to integrate the realities and priorities of subnational actors, leading to a persistent gap between global ambition and local action.

Barriers Limiting Local Government Engagement

1. Political and Institutional Constraints

• Lack of formal recognition: LGAs are treated as observers, not negotiators.
• Weak mandates: National frameworks often omit explicit roles for local actors in international climate commitments.
• Competing priorities: Service delivery demands (water, housing, education) often overshadow climate action.
• Policy incoherence: Disjointed national and local strategies lead to fragmented implementation.

2. Resource and Capacity Constraints

• Insufficient funding: Local budgets rarely allocate funds for climate adaptation or international engagement.
• Limited technical expertise: Few LGAs have staff capable of climate risk assessment or data-driven planning.
• High participation costs: Travel and registration fees hinder participation in COPs, especially for developing countries.
• Data gaps: Lack of localized climate data weakens evidence-based planning.

3. Knowledge and Communication Gaps

• Limited access to negotiation information and technical guidance.
• Language barriers and lack of translation support at COP sessions.
• Low public awareness of how global climate policy connects to local priorities.

Why Local Governments Must Be Supported

Climate change impacts are inherently territorial. Local authorities possess the contextual understanding necessary for effective adaptation and resilience-building. However, without adequate fiscal space, skills, and institutional backing, they cannot translate national and global goals into local implementation.

National governments must therefore create an enabling environment that empowers LGAs through:

• Regulatory and fiscal reforms that integrate local adaptation priorities into national plans.
• Technical capacity-building, including downscaled climate data and specialized training.
• Coordinated planning mechanisms that involve LGAs in the design and implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and NDCs.
• Targeted financing mechanisms, such as climate-resilient municipal grants and performance-based green budgeting.

Effective collaboration between national and local levels will ensure that adaptation is not only nationally planned but also locally delivered.

COP30: A Turning Point for Multilevel Climate Action

COP30 presents a pivotal opportunity to reframe climate governance through multilevel action. It comes at a critical juncture:

• 2025 marks the deadline for countries to submit their updated NDCs under the Paris Agreement.
• It will be the first COP in Brazil since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, symbolizing a return to the origins of the UNFCCC.
• It represents the midpoint to 2030, demanding acceleration in implementation rather than new pledges alone.

Positioning local governments at the heart of COP30 discussions will help bridge the implementation gap between national commitments and local realities.

Policy Recommendations

1. Elevate Local Governments in Global Climate Governance
   • Grant LGAs a formal role in negotiation processes and multilevel implementation frameworks.
   • Institutionalize the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) constituency within COP structures.
2. Reassess Support Frameworks for LGAs
   • Review past support mechanisms to identify lessons and scale up successful local adaptation and mitigation models.
3. Develop Scalable Local Climate Models
   • Document and share proven municipal adaptation and energy transition initiatives to inform peer learning.
4. Establish Dedicated Local Climate Finance Channels
   • Create financing pipelines suitable for subnational authorities, including grants and concessional funds for green infrastructure and renewable energy projects.
5. Promote Local Green Transitions
   • Support local greening programs, expansion of renewable energy, and universal access to clean cooking solutions.
6. Invest in Capacity and Skills Development
   • Build technical, financial, and negotiation capacities of LGAs through training programs, partnerships, and regional knowledge hubs.

Conclusion

Achieving the Paris Agreement targets requires action at every level of government. Local governments are not just implementers—they are innovation laboratories for resilience, equity, and sustainability. Empowering them through recognition, financing, and capacity support will be key to transforming global climate commitments into grounded results.

COP30 must therefore be the moment to bring local governments from the margins to the center of the climate agenda.