Building on the LGMA Joint Position that has been endorsed by nearly 100 local and regional governments and their networks, leaders from the LGMA Constituency are advocating for the development, financing, and execution of ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and other key strategies leading up to 2025 and beyond. They gathered to reflect upon their expectations for a successful COP29 outcome to enable ambitious, multilevel climate action that ensures resilient and climate-neutral cities, regions and states around the world.

On behalf of an unprecedented delegation of over 500 representatives of local and other subnational governments – one of the largest at COP29 – LGMA leaders made their statement about the vital role of cities, regions, and states in delivering on global climate goals.

Financing the future: Innovative solutions for subnational climate action

Shifting the focus to the critical issue of climate finance, Erion Veliaj, Mayor of Tirana (Albania), Chair of the Balkan 40 Cities Network and ICLEI Europe Regional Executive Committee Member, shared the challenges faced by cities in the Balkans. “The richer you are, the easier you have it to take to receive finance,” he lamented, highlighting the hurdles for non-EU member states in accessing international funding. “We’re poorer but more creative,” he stated.

Mayor Veliaj highlighted a successful student-led tree planting effort in Tirana that will likely get 2,000,000 trees planted by 2030. But he acknowledged the broader challenge of financing urban sustainability. “You cannot ask kids to build solar panels or retrofit homes,” he noted, and called out the lack of creative financing solutions for cities at previous COPs.

He suggested innovative integrated financing approaches, such as those advocated in the Aalborg Conditions. “Let’s think [about] urban finance creatively. Cities are easy to work with. They already agree that this is an emergency. They are already doing fantastic work, but regional networks can do so much. Cities need finance, and they need it now.”

Why we should get the inclusive, multilevel NDCs we want

Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul, Türkiye, and President of the Union of Turkish Municipalities, described his city as “Europe’s most climate vulnerable, coastal city,” Mayor İmamoğlu emphasised the urgent need for climate action, stating, “All these environment-related disasters impacting lives and economies across continents should be a wake-up call.”

Outlining Istanbul’s ambitious climate commitments, Mayor İmamoğlu shared, “By joining the EU Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, we have intensified our climate commitments, accelerating our carbon neutral target from 2050 to 2030.” He highlighted the city’s strategic investments in sustainable public transport and green spaces, as well as its pioneering issuance of Türkiye’s first local government green bond.

“As we emphasise in our LGMA Joint Position, cities around the world need direct access to more innovative resources. But my final message is this: Climate action is incomplete without social justice. Ecological justice is deeply tied to social justice and democratic politics. We must get everyone on board. Let’s push for inclusive, multilevel governance that aligns with our goals. Together, we can create a resilient, sustainable future for the world,” concluded Mayor İmamoğlu.

Reflecting on the diverse perspectives shared, Yunus Arikan, Director of ICLEI Global Advocacy and Focal Point of the LGMA Constituency praised the unity and diversity of local leaders present at COP29. “Together, we can really make a change,” he affirmed.

Mr. Arikan emphasised the strength of the LGMA’s Joint Position and its unwavering commitment to securing a successful COP29 outcome. “We are stronger with your leadership, with your membership, and we invite more of our colleagues to join us in terms of our networks, in terms of our endorsements, our declarations,” he stated. “We, cities and subnationals, are committed to deliver, and we will not give up.”

This article was originally published by ICLEI World Secretariat and adapted by ICLEI Europe.