Panel discussion: Scaling up climate finance for cities – what sub-national leaders need from COP30

With COP30 set to take place in Brazil, cities and sub-national governments are making their voices heard in the global climate finance debate. While national governments negotiate high-level commitments, local leaders are the ones implementing climate action on the ground – yet they often lack direct access to international climate funds. This panel will bring together city and regional leaders to discuss what they need from COP30 to accelerate urban climate action. How can global climate finance commitments be restructured to support cities more effectively? What mechanisms will ensure local governments receive the funding they need for adaptation, resilience, and decarbonisation?

• Direct access to climate finance: why cities need a larger share of global climate funds and how finance mechanisms can be restructured to bypass national bottlenecks
• Scaling climate adaptation and resilience investments: how sub-nationals can leverage COP30 to push for increased funding for urban resilience, extreme weather preparedness, and infrastructure protection
• Private sector engagement and blended finance: strategies for unlocking more private and institutional investment in city-led climate projects
• Evolving CHAMP to strengthen local climate action: the role of the Coalition of High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships for Climate Action (CHAMP) in ensuring cities and sub-national governments have a formal role in climate finance negotiations. How COP30 can enhance CHAMP’s impact by securing direct funding pathways, improving collaboration between levels of government, and integrating local finance needs into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).