UrbanShift at COP30

Both COP30, hosted in Belém, Brazil, and the COP30 Local Leaders Forum in Rio, represent a significant opportunity to elevate the vital role of cities in accelerating progress toward global climate goals. With the focus for this year’s COP on implementing transformative actions and raising ambition, the time is now for cities to not only align their actions with national and global targets, but to influence them and drive further ambition. 

UrbanShift will be on the ground during both the Local Leaders Forum and COP30 to elevate the voices and insights from across our network. Below, please find details of UrbanShift’s key engagements during these critical events and where to engage with our program if you are on the ground in Brazil during the month of November: 

COP30 Local Leaders Forum: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – November 3-5, 2025 

Climate and Health: Creating Green and Thriving Neighborhoods 

November 3, 15:15-16:30 BRT 

This session explores how many climate actions also bring major health benefits — especially those that promote active mobility and lifestyles, create people-centered streets, and expand access to green spaces and parks. It will be led by C40’s Urban Planning & Design team that supported the creation of UrbanShift’s Green and Thriving Neighborhoods online course. 

Urban Planning: The Key to Livable Cities 

November 4, 09:45-11:00 BRT 

This session explores how regenerative, climate-smart urban planning can create compact, walkable cities and reduce emissions. It will feature global city leaders and officially launch the C40 & UN-Habitat Urban Planning Accelerator, which has been signed by 30 global cities, including Buenos Aires, Freetown (GEF-7 Cities), and Johannesburg (GEF-6 City). The event will also include a soft launch of IKI Brazil's new "Climate Adaptation in Cities: Water-Sensitive Urban Planning" program. This program will be delivered through a partnership between UNEP, C40, FNP, and AVSI Brazil and will include Belém (GEF-7 City) as one of its seven beneficiary metropolitan regions. 

Investors Roundtable: Unlocking Investment for Cities and Nature 

November 4, 12:00-3:15 pm BRT (by invitation only) 

November 5, 1:00-4:15PM BRT (by invitation only) 

The Investors Roundtable: Unlocking Investments for Cities and Nature is a strategic platform focused on mobilizing finance for urban nature projects with strong investment potential, advancing nature-based solutions (NbS) that enhance urban resilience and climate adaptation for Brazilian Cities. This session – supported by UrbanShift – will bring together city leaders, financiers, investors, and national stakeholders to showcase up to 30 project proposals from Brazilian cities that are part of the Nature Solution Project Incubator, and also part of the C40’s CHAMP Green Resilient Model Cities initiative. Teresina (GEF-7 City) will be one of the presenting cities.  

Breakfast to kick start the Belém Yerevan Pact for Resilient Cities, Living Forests (The Canopy Pact) 

November 5, 07:30-09:00 BRT (by invitation only) 

This breakfast meeting forms part of the roadmap for the creation and implementation of the Canopy Pact, from Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP30) in Belem, Brazil to the 17th Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia. The event will build momentum and political visibility for the Pact in the lead-up to COP30 and engage mayors, urban networks, and partners in the forest-biodiversity-climate discussion. 

Led by IPAM Amazona, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, and UNEP, the Canopy Pact brings together governments, institutions, and organizations that recognize the importance of urban areas in influencing ecosystems far beyond their borders through consumption, waste, and infrastructure decisions. 

GPSC Mayors Round Table & Launch of the GEF8 Sustainable Cities Integrated Program (SCIP) 

November 5, 14:30-20:30 BRT (by invitation only) 

This event is a high-level dialogue among city leaders on sustainable and inclusive urban development where mayors will demonstrate their city's commitment and action to urban sustainability. UrbanShift partners and cities will be participating in this event, which will Official launch of the GEF-8 Sustainable Cities Integrated Program. 

Urban Nature Forum 

November 6, 09:00-17:00 BRT 

This event is focusing on urban nature policy, planning, and financing to scale solutions for climate resilience and biodiversity. UrbanShift partners and cities will be participating in the discussions. 

COP30: Belém, Brazil – November 10-21, 2025 

Beat the Heat Implementation Launch 

November 11, 14:30 - 16:00 BRT, SE Room 3 

This event will formally launch the Beat the Heat Implementation Drive as a joint COP30 Presidency and UNEP initiative for urban heat resilience and sustainable cooling. High level representatives from the countries, cities and partner organisations engaged in Beat the Heat will share experience and commitments under Beat the Heat. UrbanShift partners and cities are involved in the set-up of Beat the Heat and are invited to participate in this event. 

Unlocking Subnational Finance for Green Sectorial Transformation Sectors: A Focus on Building & Cooling 

November 17, 2 – 3:30 pm BRT 

Building and Cooling Pavillion, Blue Zone, City Park, Belem 

Subnational governments need over $5 trillion annually to deliver on climate and SDG transitions, yet access to finance remains limited. This session highlights efforts to unlock local financing, starting with a panel on unlocking subnational finance for green infrastructure, spotlighting how cities can strengthen their institutional and financial capacity to access climate finance. Building on the UrbanShift learnings, as well as the work of the SDSN Urban SDG Commission, Local2030, and CCFLA, the discussion will explore own-source revenue generation, bankability, and integrated financing frameworks. 

The second panel dives into sectoral solutions—from passive cooling and clean construction to renewable energy integration—showing how cities are scaling building and cooling strategies to deliver just climate transitions. Featuring examples from Kisumu (Kenya) and Barcarena (Brazil), and contributions from JLL, ICLEI, GCoM and others, the session supports COP30 goals of Global Mutirão and the Global Cooling Pledge and Buildings Breakthrough.