President Lula praises cities’ leadership on tackling twin threats of inequality and the climate emergency

• President Lula as chair of the G20 accepts Urban 20 communique from over 50 global mayors
• President Lula praises the role of cities in advancing social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty and promoting sustainable development
• Brazil confirms working with cities as part of a new 'climate federalism' is a key part of the country's new NDC
• Bloomberg Philanthropies, C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors announce their support for the Brazilian Federal Government's Green and Resilient Cities Program. By COP30, this joint effort will support 100 priority climate action projects in 50 Brazilian cities

The President of Brazil, Lula da Silva has praised the pioneering work of the world's cities in reducing inequalities and confronting the climate crisis and pledged to take their message of progress and solidarity to the G20 summit when it begins on Monday.

President Lula, speaking at the conclusion of the Urban 20 Summit (U20) in Rio, said:

"For millennia, urban settlements have attracted the hopes of millions of people. Its markets and businesses are points of contact between often distant societies…in its streets and squares, ideas become reality. Municipalities are catalysts for profound changes."

As the current President of the G20, Lula received the U20 communique from Mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes, U20 2024 Co-Chair. The summit brings together more than 60 city leaders from around the world and is one of the key platforms for influencing and informing the G20 summit of world leaders.

The U20 communique commends Brazil's G20 presidency for launching the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty and the Global Mobilization against Climate Change, highlighting the need for global solutions to these issues. It calls for greater collaboration between cities and national governments through networks and partnerships like the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP), launched at COP28. It also stresses the need to promote mechanisms for structural engagement of cities within intergovernmental processes for inclusive action on shared challenges.

The communique includes offers from 57 mayors and urban leaders to work with national governments on climate solutions with social inclusion at their heart. It also calls on the G20 to acknowledge the unique role of local governments in cutting emissions and combating the climate emergency and to support cities of all sizes with direct funding to address the crisis.

The communique states: "We call for accelerated action from G20 governments to reduce emissions and implement adaptation measures to enhance resilience, while mobilising multiple and distinct sources of funding to close the urban climate finance gap".

The handover brings to a close the U20 Summit, during which Brazil launched ambitious new emissions targets (NDC) putting justice, equality and inclusion right at the heart of climate action.

By committing to work across all layers of government through the Coalition for High Ambition Multi-Level Partnerships (CHAMP), Brazil demonstrates the vital role cities and other subnational governments can play in simultaneously addressing the climate, poverty and cost of living crises. It is hoped that other countries will follow Brazil's lead as they update their NDC climate plans ahead of COP30 in November 2025.

Additionally, the communique includes the call from 57 mayors and urban leaders for at least $800 billion in annual public investment from national governments and development finance institutions by 2030. The local leaders called for critical, targeted funding to help cities become green growth engines and invest in urban solutions like low-emission transport, clean energy, and climate-resilient infrastructure.

There is also a proposal in the communique for 40% of new, low-interest funding for city-led climate projects to be directed to vulnerable, at-risk, and low-income communities, allowing cities more affordable access to financing. According to projections by ARUP for the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) and C40, based on current targets and NDCs, cities committed to climate action could achieve up to 40% of the global emissions reduction gap between NDCs and a 1.5°C pathway by 2030, reiterating the vital role that cities play in ensuring a fair transition.

The federal government also began a new partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors as part of Brazil's Green and Resilient Cities Program to support 100 priority climate action projects in 50 Brazilian cities by COP30.

The G20 will meet on Monday and Tuesday with U20 mayors hoping to see a positive response to their offer to collaborate on these global challenges.

With COP29 already underway, city leaders will now take these demands to Baku, ensuring cities can drive forward a global spirit of climate federalism and co-operation.

The President of Brazil, Lula da Silva said: "Cities concentrate challenges, but we also find the solutions we seek in them. They are home to the agents of change we aspire to bring about…The presence of so many mayors here today is proof that local governments want to and can do their part."

"C40, which now has almost 100 member cities, is committed to tackling the climate crisis and contributing to limiting global warming to one and a half degrees, while building healthy, equitable and resilient communities."

"The voice of the cities needs to be heard and I am confident that the work of this U20 meeting will be very productive."

"As the composer Hilton Acioli says: "A city seems small compared to a country, but it is in your city, it is in our city, that we begin to be happy.""

Mayor of Freetown and Co-Chair of C40 Cities, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE said: "I welcome this U20 Communique as a crucial call to action, especially for the futures of young people and cities in the Global South that urgently need equitable financing to tackle the climate crisis."

"As mayors of major cities worldwide, we call on leaders at both G20 and COP29 to work with us to scale up the ambitious efforts already transforming our cities."

"Cities are dynamic and innovative, leading the way in facing the world's most pressing threats. Achieving national climate goals will not be possible without active city engagement. As governments prepare updated National Climate Plans for COP30, they must seize on initiatives like CHAMP to make cities key partners in a faster, fairer, and more effective climate response."

Mayor of Rio de Janeiro and U20 2024 Co-Chair, Eduardo Paes said: "I am proud to have hosted such a successful and inspirational U20 Summit here in Rio de Janeiro."

"Mayors from cities around the world have united to drive forward an agenda that addresses both climate and social justice. Brazil has a pivotal role to play in this global effort, and I want to extend my sincere thanks to President Lula for accepting the communique and committing to carry its vision to the G20 and beyond."

"Cities are not just on the front line of the climate emergency; they are leading the way with innovative, on-the-ground solutions. It's essential that national leaders partner with us to ensure cities are central to meeting climate goals. As we look to COP30, initiatives like CHAMP are vital for embedding cities within national climate strategies and driving forward action that's swift, inclusive, and effective."

C40 Cities Executive Director, Mark Watts said: "Cities are where the climate fight will be won or lost: new research from ARUP and GCoM shows city climate action could achieve up to 40% of the global emissions reduction gap between current national climate plans and a 1.5°C pathway."

"This communique recognises the urgent need for global leaders to engage with cities at all levels and I was delighted to see this recognised formally in Brazil's new NDC, through the President's support for climate federalism and the enthusiasm we have seen for Brazil's Green and Resilient Cities Program."

"I commend the mayors of U20 cities who have worked tirelessly to build consensus across borders and find common solutions, and I look forward to G20 leaders building on this renewed multilateralism, working with cities to solve the linked climate, poverty and inequality crises."

Antha Williams, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies' Environment Program said: "The leadership and decisive action from President Lula da Silva and Mayor Paes sets a powerful example of the collaboration needed to confront the climate crisis and the inequities it worsens."

"Together with the mayors at the U20, they are forging a path towards a more inclusive and resilient future and showing the world that city-led climate action is more important than ever."

UCLG Secretary-General, Emilia Saiz said: "This edition of Urban 20 presents a unique opportunity to bring to the international stage a new multilateral system that does not separate the issues of hunger, climate change, and urban financing."

"Cities, as key spheres of government, are where the priorities of the people converge. We cannot isolate these challenges-they are deeply interconnected, and it is in cities that we must forge the solutions that address them together ahead of the Fourth Conference on Financing for Development and the World Social Summit."

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