Local Action on the Global Stage: Lessons from the C40 Summit in Rio

Pictured: Alyssa Johnson & Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne at the C40 Cities World Mayors Summit.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to share PCFO’s work internationally and connect with Mayors and local leaders from around the world at the C40 Cities World Mayors Summit and Local Leaders Forum in Rio de Janeiro, hosted by C40 Cities, the COP30 Presidency, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. In addition to representation from PCFO, three of our member communities were also in attendance at the Local Leaders Forum: the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and the City of Athens.

Bringing together 300+ mayors from around the world, the event centered on peer-to-peer collaboration and mayoral “Yearly Offers of Action” that highlighted solutions-oriented climate diplomacy. The adopted theme for the COP30 Presidency was “Global Mutirão”. “Mutirão” is derived from the Indigenous Tupi-Guarani language, where the word translates to “collective efforts.” The event was structured around concurrent workshops, plenary sessions, press conferences, and networking opportunities, providing a platform for participants to share local solutions to global problems.

I learned about how Leeds is connecting their workforce to higher-wage jobs since their transition away from coal, low-no emissions zones being implemented in London and Paris that have direct implications for air quality and reduced asthma cases, and the work that Breathe Cities is doing to help communities address the intersection of emissions reductions and public health. One of the most interesting sessions I attended was Mainstreaming Climate Action, moderated by Eric Garcetti, former Mayor of Los Angeles, where attendees learned about the ways Lima, Bogota, and Oslo have integrated climate action across all aspects of their city operations, from finance to public works.

I had the opportunity to hear from a handful of U.S. mayors on this international stage about why local leadership on climate matters, and despite this being the first time in the COP 30-year history of annual summits that the U.S. federal government was absent, our mayors were present and showed that they are still All-In.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego shared that two-thirds of the U.S. population and three-fourths of economic activity are represented by communities working aggressively on climate action. I think she said it best when she shared the following with attendees, “If we are going to deliver on the Paris Agreement,” she said, “local governments are going to do it.” Local governments across Ohio are, in fact, doing the work. 44% of Ohioans live in a PCFO community, and the impact that our local governments have on reducing emissions in Ohio should not be overlooked.

I have had the privilege of holding roles that have taken me across the United States and around the world, connecting with people, exchanging ideas, and discussing challenges with the collective goal of creating a better future for us all. Whether that exchange of ideas and relationship building takes place in a farm field in Taos, New Mexico, or in a pavilion at COP, what gives me hope for this work — and for the future — is knowing that there are many of us out there chipping away at progress bit by bit.

On the last day of the Forum, participants attended the Local Climate Action Summit, where the Local Leaders Joint Statement was shared and discussed. This statement is the declaration of support from more than 14,000 cities and states, including U.S. cities and states, affirming their collective commitment to advancing equitable climate solutions.

The local leaders committed to three specific actions:

• Helping countries achieve their national climate goals by actively engaging as partners in implementation and ensuring a just and resilient transition;

• Ensuring a robust pipeline of local projects to help localize and channel climate finance for both mitigation and adaptation; and

• Advancing multilevel action and collaboration to make the COP process one of implementation and accountability.

During my time at the Local Leaders Forum, I found relevant examples to bring home, passionate professionals willing to connect and share best practices, and overall, a group of caring individuals from across the world committed to collective action to tackle the climate crisis.

This deepened my appreciation for the 50+ PCFO communities that have made that same commitment to work with us, and in partnership with our broader network, to create a cleaner, brighter future for everyone who calls Ohio home.