These crises exacerbate the challenges that our cities, towns and regions already face worldwide, and further complicate the work that local and regional governments have already accomplished in advancing sustainability efforts in their communities. Our cities, towns, regions and communities must already plan for and adapt to a future beyond 1.5°C.

At the Congress, ICLEI leaders from around the world shared how they have been able to advance local sustainable development in spite of – or in response to – our changing world, and how they are preparing their communities for a new climate normal. The experiences of ICLEI Members from Brazil were especially highlighted, focusing on their efforts to adapt their communities to this new climate normal in a just and equitable way.

The Urban Infrastructure Insurance Facility (UIIF) was launched to enhance urban resilience against natural hazards with innovative insurance solutions. Seven cities from Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica, and Honduras—Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Recife, Reynosa, Mérida, Tegucigalpa, and Kingston—are the first to join. Funded by KfW Development Bank on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), UIIF helps cities measure risks and provides tailored insurance solutions. This initiative is vital for mitigating natural disaster disruptions and fostering sustainable urban development in Latin America and the Caribbean, setting a global example for urban leaders.

ICLEI, in collaboration with the governments of Avellaneda (Argentina), Kisumu County (Kenya), and West Nusa Tenggara Province (Indonesia), unveiled tailored roadmaps to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050. These customized plans, adapted to each region’s specific needs and resources, highlight the proactive leadership of cities and regions in the global energy transition. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

Building on a global partnership announced at COP28, ICLEI and IFRC kicked off the development of a coastal cities initiative for the Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America regions to reduce risks for coastal cities and nurture resilience. Coastal city leaders and practitioners were invited to develop and pitch potential project ideas to build a foundation for future collaboration opportunities.

The largest city in Brazil and South America and the fourth largest metropolis in the world –  home to over 12 million residents – it also serves as Brazil’s main economic and financial center. More than 20 million residents live in the Greater São Paulo metropolitan area.

The City of São Paulo plays a leading role in sustainability commitment, action and innovation. As a key player in the international forums, the city has participated in UN conventions since UNFCCC COP21 in Paris, as well as the Convention on Biodiversity COP15 in Montreal. At climate COP28 in Dubai, with the biggest delegation actively participating, the City announced they would host the ICLEI World Congress 2024, as well as a robust pack of initiatives to promote sustainable urban development for 2024 totaling more than R$15 billion (2.4 billion EUR) in investments.

The City has committed to creating solidarity and city-to-city cooperation opportunities as an essential part of addressing the global environmental, humanitarian, economic and health crises of our time. Since 2023, the City of São Paulo has been host to more than 40 international events that are already considered legacies for the city, such as the Virada ODS, the International Diplomacy Week, the Expo Internacional Dia da Consciência Negra, and the São Paulo International Summit; and has demonstrated a strong political commitment with city networks as Presidency of Mercociudades network and of the National Forum of International Relations (FONARI), the Vice Presidency of Metropolis and Co-chair of Urban 20 process.

Zooming out on the region, we see the iconic Amazon biome, encompassing the world’s largest rainforest and one of only three global hotspots for biocultural diversity. Its vast expanse crosses nine countries (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana) and countless cities with an estimated 50 million residents – identified as ”Amazônidas” – who speak 86 languages and more than 650 dialects. According to the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute, IBGE, 72% of the population of the Brazilian Amazon resides in urban centers, and according to IDB, only 22.3% of the urban population in the Andean Amazon cities has limited access to electricity, contributing to the complexity of delivering sustainable public services.

Since 2021, ICLEI has promoted a robust Urban Amazon agenda: promoting the Forum of Pan Amazon Cities, a pioneering initiative that has brought together mayors and strategic partners to find solutions for urban social and environmental risks, running capacity building and training activities with an approach in adaptation and biodiversity, supporting inventories, risk and ecosystem services assessments and mentores for project preparation, as well as delivering Local Climate Action Plans.

Latin America, as the world’s most urbanized region, plays a pivotal role in global climate action especially because of its rich natural resources and unique environmental challenges.

 With all three UN conventions meeting in 2024, including the Biodiversity COP16 in Colombia in October, the region’s significance in the global environmental agenda is more pronounced than ever.

Operating in South America since 2000, ICLEI connects 139 Members of local and regional governments in eight countries in the region. Since 2021, ICLEI South America has three offices—located in Medellin, Colombia; Rosario, Argentina; and São Paulo, Brazil—and employs more than 50 staff. It implements 40 cooperation projects and a service portfolio and organizes several events each year to promote sustainable and equitable cities and regions throughout the region.

The Congress marked a milestone in the international urban sustainability events agenda. Important announcements for the region, including the Brazil’s Ministry of Environment National Tree Planting Plan kick off, which will receive technical support from ICLEI. Additionally, South American mayors and the youth constituency delivered a series of declarations impacting local public policies.

The Youth Manifesto, launched at the Congress, aims to promote a fair transition, prioritize human rights protection, and advocate for the political independence of young people. It includes recommendations for local governments and society as a whole and was developed through discussions and meetings of the Youth Advisory Board for the ICLEI World Congress 2024.

At the Congress’ closing plenary, Júlia Bonitese, youth activist and ambassador for climate justice, highlighted the importance of active young people’s participation in local and global climate action.

Additional announcements:

• New FAO – ICLEI Guide for public managers on sustainable food systems launched, with a new term for the LUPPA project, Latin America’s largest urban food systems laboratory.
• New ICLEI partnerships on resilience announced between the governments of the State of Piauí and the Cities of São Sepé and Itabirito for Climate Compliance plans.
• New ICLEI – Fortaleza technical collaboration for the Re-Ciclo program on selective waste collection by waste pickers using electric vehicles (tricycles). A technical collaboration protocol was also signed with CITinova to replicate the project in other cities. 
• New ICLEI – Tip Magazine issue Paradiplomacy and Environmental Agendas on innovative strategies in climate change, energy transition and sustainable development released during the side event on Global Cities organized by Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB). 
• New ICLEI project kick-off between the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI) that consists of a regional comparative study of heat waves and cities’ adaptation initiatives and a joint manifesto of Ibero-American cities to be presented at COP29.

The powerful interplay between these two critical global agendas and their impacts on policy-making will also shape the roadmap toward Climate Change COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in 2025. These global processes influence local and regional initiatives, stressing the need for global strategies to address on-the-ground challenges faced by cities, towns, and regions worldwide.

At the Congress, mayors and climate leaders, including Razan Al Mubarak, COP28 High-Level Champion and President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature; and Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Special Advisor to COP29 Presidency, emphasized that now is the time for local and regional governments to push for an integrated approach to the climate and nature crises, as well as cross-government action to achieve the urgently needed transformations toward a sustainable world.

In addition, as the primary component of the first day of the ICLEI World Congress 2024, the ICLEI Global Research & Innovation Symposium convened researchers, innovators, urban practitioners, and investors to foster a new generation of “next practices.” Significant topics shaped this seventh edition, including high-level plenaries on the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities (SRCC) and discussions on agenda-setting innovation and emerging technologies. The event also featured its signature Research & Innovation Marketplace, offering an interactive space for bridging the gap between concepts, action, research, and financial support.

The Global Research & Innovation Symposium was the primary component of the first day of the ICLEI World Congress 2024. With registration closing early due to overwhelming demand, it brought together more than 150 in-person participants and 20 invited high-level speakers, setting the stage for a high-energy and impactful week in São Paulo.

This full-day program was designed and delivered under ICLEI’s Global Research & Innovation Strategy in partnership with Mission Innovation Net-Zero Compatible Innovations Initiative, UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub, Open Earth Foundation, and Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM), and served as a complementary event to the upcoming Innovate4Cities 2024 Conference (I4C24) in Montreal, Canada. The event was hosted by the São Paulo School of Management of Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV EAESP) and supported by the University of São Paulo (USP).

Key speakers included

• Heiko Buch-Illing, CEO of the Outdoor Institute in Silkeborg, Denmark;
• Amelia Clarke, Professor, University of Waterloo;
• David Ekelund, CEO of Icebug;
• Pedro Jacobi, President of the Board of Directors, ICLEI South America Secretariat, and Professor at the University of São Paulo;
• Benjamin Jance, Head of Research and Innovation, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM);
• Dennis Pamlin, Chief Executive Officer, The Net-Zero Compatibility Initiative, Mission Innovation;
• Jose Puppim de Oliveira, Professor, FGV EAESP;
• Smita Rakesh, Partner, Social Alpha;
• Rodrigo Ravena, Secretary of Green and Environment, São Paulo City Hall;
• Randy Sa’d, Executive Director, REFOCUS & Flourishing Enterprise Institute;
• Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Vice-Chair of the IPCC and Chair of the Urban Research and Innovation Portfolio for the ICLEI Global Executive Committee; and
• Martin Wainstein, Executive Director, Open Earth Foundation.

In addition to high-level plenary discussions, the Research & Innovation Marketplace – delivered in partnership with I4C24 – was a highlight of the day. It gave selected pitch makers, including mayors and city representatives, urban practitioners, academics and international organizations, the opportunity to pitch and receive valuable feedback from the audience and invited experts on their concepts and projects in four thematic areas: Digitalization, Finance, Governance & Urban Planning, and Systems Transformation.

Mayor Katja Dörner, City of Bonn, Germany, and Chair of the Climate Action Governance Portfolio for the ICLEI Global Executive Committee made a call-to-action inviting all ICLEI leaders to proactively approach their national governments and national associations of local governments for multilevel NDCs by 2025. This call builds on outcomes from COP28 and the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships for Climate Action (CHAMP) initiative, which has been signed by 72 countries and is an effort intended to enhance cooperation with subnational governments in financing, implementation, and the monitoring of climate strategies. 

Leaders were also invited to report their progress at the annual Daring Cities Forum. This followed an announcement on the first day of the Congress that Frente Nacional de Prefeitas e Prefeitos (FNP) – Brazil’s national association of cities – released a letter of commitment in which mayors pledged their support for CHAMP. This was followed by a similar resolution by the United States Conference of Mayors later in the week.

Hosted in the eco-friendly Ibirapuera Park, the event minimized its environmental impact through thoughtful venue selection, sustainable catering, and waste reduction strategies. Simultaneously, it prioritized inclusivity with accessible facilities, multilingual support, and diverse representation. 

By integrating these principles, the ICLEI World Congress 2024 not only discussed sustainability and equity but embodied these values, setting a standard for responsible and inclusive global gatherings.

To align with our mission, ICLEI endeavored to deliver a sustainable event for all attendees at the ICLEI World Congress 2024. 

A special feature of the Congress was hosting the core components inside the famous Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo. This unique venue allowed participants to experience the Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica), the second largest rainforest in the world after the Amazon Rainforest.

The venue, Pavilhão das Culturas Brasileiras, was designed by renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in the 1950s, featured a natural lighting system that significantly reduced the event’s ecological footprint.

We committed to delivering a sustainable event for all our attendees with the support of the municipal investment and export promotion agency SP Negócios, the implementer of the event, by working to:

• Find sustainable catering with a variety of dietary options;
  
• Limit onsite waste including single use products; 
• Offer environmentally responsible accommodation options; 
• Provide water bottle filling stations on site; 
• Encourage the use of public or shared transit through accessible locations; 
• Limit the use of paper for event materials and communications; 
• Procure materials and services locally where possible;
• Utilize natural lighting already abundant inside the venue.

In line with ICLEI’s Equitable Events Guidelines, developed as a part of the last ICLEI World Congress in Malmö, Sweden, we committed to delivering an accessible and inclusive Congress in 2024. In order to achieve this goal we:

• Ensured venue accessibility including ramps and clear tape marking on stairs;
• Created event accessibility through features such as interpretation between Portuguese, English and Spanish and the use of sign language interpreters;
• Provided catering with diverse food options for dietary restrictions;
• Offered a diverse event program that included representatives from different regions, genders, age groups, etc;
• Prioritized accessibility in communications and digital channels;
• Provided moderators, speakers, and key staff with equity guidelines;
• Delivered reliable internet connection for digital resources and accessibility tools;
• Facilitated opportunities for participants to share experiences and explore the park and city together.

At the ICLEI World Congress 2024, we connected, collaborated, and committed to innovative projects, impactful partnerships, and strategic initiatives that will drive our network forward in our shared mission for a sustainable future. These collaborations are crucial for enhancing collective local action on sustainability and achieving the ambitious goals set out in the ICLEI Strategic Vision 2024-2030.

Local and regional governments need to prioritize inclusive approaches to policy-making and implementation, actively engaging and collaborating with underrepresented segments of the community. This means a transition for the role of local and regional governments from service providers to community enablers. 

The ICLEI World Congress 2024 featured the stories of communities that are doing just that, showcasing approaches that ICLEI Members use to equitably and sustainably adapt, anticipate and respond to present and future challenges, especially those that bring new voices to the table, including youth, vulnerable groups and community-based groups. 

We are focused on charting the path ahead, ensuring that our efforts as a global network continue to accelerate. Thank you to our amazing host, the City of São Paulo, Brazil; our highly committed Members around the world; all of our partners and donors; and everyone working with us to harness the power of our network to create lasting change for communities worldwide.