The COP30 Local Leaders Forum, held in Rio de Janeiro ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, showcased meaningful, measurable steps that cities, states, and subnational governments are taking to turbocharge climate action.
With efforts to clean the air, tackle extreme heat, build resilient infrastructure, create jobs, and more, local officials are making real climate progress — and improving lives in the process.
Keep reading to learn more about the innovative and effective local solutions unveiled in Rio, and their impact on the global climate fight.
— Bloomberg Philanthropies  "Together, we are committed to making life more affordable and building more resilient communities by expanding renewable energy access, accelerating energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, advancing nature-based solutions, and protecting forests, biodiversity and water… Our collective action is a beacon of hope for the people we serve every day. By turning global, national, and local climate policies into tangible results, we are improving the daily lives of our residents: creating new jobs, cleaner air, safer streets, healthier and more inclusive communities, and stronger economies."
Read the full Statement of support from more than 14,000 local leaders to national governments at COP30 →  By building stronger response networks on the ground and expanding satellite monitoring from orbit, a new end-to-end methane emissions reduction initiative led by Bloomberg Philanthropies will enhance efforts to detect and close leaks.
The impact: The initiative will build on efforts that have already found more than 6,000 super-emitting methane plumes worldwide, while "Methane Response Basecamps" will support rapid response efforts to close leaks. Methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. Reducing global emissions 30 percent by 2030 could have the same impact as removing about 10 gigatons of CO2 — equivalent to shutting down more than 2,000 coal-fired power plants — while preventing hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and asthma-related hospital visits linked to air pollution. The Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund has worked with 100 city halls around the world to sponsor climate projects led by young people. We're expanding the Fund to support up to 300 more municipalities to engage youth in designing, developing, and implementing local climate solutions in their cities.
The impact: We're "tripling down" on a program that has already brought together over 100,000 young people to plant 150,000 trees, create 250 new green spaces, cultivate 3,000 gardens, collect 350,000 pounds of trash and recyclables, and more. The 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Local Leaders Climate Awards honored 12 of the most daring, impactful, and people-centered climate breakthroughs led by cities, states, and regions in Brazil and around the globe.
The impact: Cities around the world will have new opportunities to learn from, share, and scale-up the winners' ambitious climate solutions, which cut building emissions, tackle extreme heat, slash waste, clean the air, and more. Watch Panels and Presentations from the Local Climate Action Forum
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