CHAMP Coalition, Led by Brazil and Germany, Launches Steering Group, Roadmap, Subnational Advisory Council
The coalition of 77+ countries, which represents 40% of global emissions, aims to speed climate action by bringing national and subnational governments closer together.
London (June 23, 2026) — At the Local Climate Action Summit during London Climate Action Week, the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) for Climate Action launched the next phase of its effort to support more ambitious climate action.
The newly inaugurated CHAMP Steering Group of nine countries launched an Implementation Roadmap designed to reinforce and build on its pledge to accelerate national-local collaboration and strengthen the delivery of climate commitments on the ground. CHAMP also established a new Secretariat and a first-of-its-kind Subnational Advisory Council, chaired by former Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and featuring eight mayors, governors and other subnational leaders.
The move reflects a growing view that climate targets will be hard to meet without closer coordination across levels of government. Cities account for more than half the world’s population and an estimated 70% of energy-related CO2 emissions, while cities, states and regions are often closest to carrying out climate policy. CHAMP aims to narrow planning, financing and implementation gaps so that national ambition translates more quickly into results for communities.
“Germany strongly believes that effective climate action depends on cooperation across all levels of government,” said Ulf Jaeckel, CHAMP Co-chair and Head of International Adaptation to the Climate Change Division, BMUKN, Germany. “Our experience has shown that cities, states and regions are indispensable partners in turning national climate targets into practical solutions that benefit people and communities.”
Steering Group
The CHAMP Steering Group is composed of Co-chairs Brazil and Germany as well as Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, the European Union, Kenya, the Philippines and Sweden. World Resources Institute serves as the Secretariat of CHAMP, coordinating between the Steering Group and Subnational Advisory Council, which is co-facilitated by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy and the Under2 Coalition.
CHAMP was launched at COP28 by the COP Presidency (United Arab Emirates) and Bloomberg Philanthropies. It now includes 77 national endorsing countries and the European Union, representing 36% of the world’s population, and 40% of global emissions.
During the latest round of national climate plans under the Paris Agreement at COP30 in Brazil, CHAMP endorsers led the way. Among endorsers that submitted updated NDCs, 90% increased the integration of city-level partners. They were also 3.5 times more likely than non-endorsing countries to achieve an “A+” rating from UN-Habitat on urban integration. CHAMP also serves alongside UN-Habitat as the co-lead for Activation Group 11 on multilevel governance under the COP30 Action Agenda.
The CHAMP Implementation Roadmap is the initiative’s new three-year strategy to build on this momentum and accelerate impact on the ground. It is organized around three pillars:
Position multilevel partnerships at the heart of climate governance, advocating for greater contribution and recognition of subnational actors globally and in national planning and policy processes, and ensuring progress is tracked and reported;
Strengthen the systems and partnerships that enable national and subnational governments to work together effectively in the design and delivery of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs); and
Scale up and unlock the means of implementation, including finance and investment, at the subnational level by aligning national climate finance strategies with subnational priorities, coordinating the project preparation ecosystem, and advocating for institutional reform so that climate funding reaches cities, states and regions.
CHAMP Steering Group members include:
Ambassador Antônio Francisco Da Costa, Co-chair and Ambassador and Chief International Advisor, Brazilian Ministry of Cities
Dr. Ulf Jaeckel, Co-chair and Head of the International Adaptation to Climate Change Division, German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN)
Mr. Mauricio Galván Gómez, Coordinator of the Climate Change Mitigation Group, within the Directorate of Climate Change and Risk Management, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia
Ms. Gabriela C. Márquez, Director of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Dominican Republic
Mr. Abas Mohammed, CEO, Environment and Climate Change Policy, Strategy Analysis and Mainstreaming, Ministry of Planning and Development, Ethiopia
Her Excellency Deborah Barasa, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Republic of Kenya
Ms. Laurence Graff, Advisor to CLIMA DDG, European Union
Asst. Sec. Noralene Uy, Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, International Affairs and Climate Change, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines
Mr. Olle Dierks, Head of Large-Scale Investments and Chairman of Team Sweden Smart Cities, Sweden
Subnational Advisory Council
For the first time since its creation, the CHAMP coalition is also formally integrating cities, states and regions into its governance structure with the CHAMP Subnational Advisory Council. The Subnational Advisory Council will help ensure that local and regional realities, expertise and climate solutions directly inform CHAMP’s strategic direction, advocacy priorities and implementation efforts. Chaired by Anne Hidalgo, former Mayor of Paris and Global Ambassador for the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, the Subnational Advisory Council will inaugurate its first meeting during London Climate Action Week.
City representatives to the Subnational Advisory Council include:
Lord Mayor Nick Reece, Melbourne, Australia
Mayor Claudio Castro, Renca, Chile
Mayor Piia Elo, Turku, Finland
Mayor Mohamed Sefiani, Chefchaouen, Morocco
Mayor Alfredo Coro, Del Carmen, Philippines
Regional representatives include:
Governor Eduardo Leite, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Minister-Premier Cem Ozdemir, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
President Fatimetou Abdel Malick, Nouakchott Region, Mauritania
“This new Subnational Advisory Council marks an important step toward closer collaboration between national governments and subnational leaders,” said Ambassador Antônio Da Costa, CHAMP Co-Chair and Chief International Advisor at the Ministry of Cities, Brazil. “Cities, states and regions are essential to delivering climate action, where policy becomes concrete measures that protect people, strengthen resilience and improve lives. As host of COP30, Brazil has placed multilevel governance at the center of its climate vision and is already advancing this agenda through initiatives such as the Green and Resilient Cities and Brazil Mutirão programs. The Subnational Advisory Council will help connect global ambition with local implementation.”
“Cities and regions have long stood on the frontlines of the climate crisis, not only experiencing its impacts first, but leading some of the world’s most ambitious and transformative climate solutions,” said Anne Hidalgo, Chair of the CHAMP Subnational Advisory Council. “Every day, local and regional governments are protecting communities, strengthening resilience, and proving that bold climate action can improve people’s quality of life. The creation of the CHAMP Subnational Advisory Council sends a powerful signal: national governments are formally recognizing that climate ambition cannot succeed without strong partnerships with local and regional governments. In Paris, we demonstrated that climate action and quality of life go hand in hand. The Subnational Advisory Council will help ensure that the experience and leadership of cities and regions help shape global climate decisions at the highest level.”
Led by the Steering Group, Co-chairs Brazil and Germany, and the Subnational Advisory Council, CHAMP aims to enhance the ambition, credibility and long-term implementation of climate commitments and actions, while creating new avenues for collaboration and progress. All levels of government have a critical role to play in the transition to a net-zero, climate-resilient future.
About the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) for Climate Action
Launched at COP28 by the COP Presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies, CHAMP strengthens collaboration between national governments and cities, states, and regions on climate policy and finance. The coalition bridges national ambition and subnational delivery and has grown to 78 endorsers, reflecting rising global momentum for multilevel climate governance. Together, CHAMP and its endorsing members represent 36% of the world’s population and 40% of global emissions, underscoring the coalition’s significant global footprint and its potential to drive meaningful climate action at scale. World Resources Institute serves as the Secretariat for CHAMP. For more information, visit champ-climate.org or contact secretariat@champ-climate.org.
