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At COP30 in Belém, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) played a central role in elevating the climate–urban agenda, convening the Fourth Ministerial Meeting on Urbanisation and Climate Change, co-hosting the Cities and Regions Hub, and supporting countries in advancing stronger urban alignment in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Through high-level engagements, technical sessions, and the launch of new knowledge products, UN-Habitat helped bring local implementation, housing, informality, multilevel governance, and urban climate finance to the forefront of global climate discussions.
The following 10 points capture the main takeaways from UN-Habitat’s engagement at COP30.
- Implementing the Paris Agreement depends on cities and regions. At the Fourth Ministerial Meeting on Urbanisation and Climate Change, 17 ministers, 21 governors and mayors and 30 international institutions reaffirmed that global climate goals cannot be achieved without strong local and multilevel action.
- Housing and informal settlements are climate priorities. For the first time at a COP, leaders acknowledged that upgrading informal settlements and improving basic services are core components of climate resilience and adaptation.
- The Chair of the Ministerial Meeting on Urbanisation and Climate Change set out eight areas where countries can strengthen the climate-urban agenda. These include institutionalising the Ministerial Meeting, enhancing participation of local governments in the UNFCCC process, aligning NDCs with urban realities, and advancing climate finance for city-scale implementation. The Chair also asked for countries to provide updates at the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum in Baku in 2026.
- Countries demonstrate growing commitment to multilevel action by integrating clearer urban priorities into NDCs 3.0. The latest analysis from UN-Habitat shows that NDCs 3.0 now include the strongest urban alignment to date, with urban content nearly doubling and multilevel governance referenced in two-thirds of submissions.
- Cities and regions show strong leadership and readiness to scale action. Through 46 events and more than 200 speakers at the Cities & Regions Hub, local governments demonstrated practical solutions on heat, flooding, water security, mobility, nature-based solutions, waste, and project preparation.
- COP30 strengthened the case for multilevel governance as essential to effective climate implementation. Countries highlighted the value of coordination platforms and mechanisms to ensure that national ambition is matched with territorial delivery capacity.
- Advancing local climate finance is a pressing global priority. Ministerial discussions and the Cities & Regions Hub confirmed that more accessible pathways for city-scale projects, especially informal and vulnerable communities including access to finance, are critical to achieving global climate goals.
- Linking adaptation, nature, land, and people is vital. Multiple sessions at COP30 reaffirmed that nature-based solutions, resilient land use, and secure housing must be integrated into climate policy frameworks, including within the Global Goal on Adaptation.
- The forthcoming IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities is critical to accelerate action. Countries committed to using the report to strengthen the science-policy-action interface and inform future climate planning, signalling strong demand for urban-focused evidence.
- UN-Habitat leaves COP30 with reinforced vigour to support countries with local climate implementation. Member States and local governments expressed that support for NDC implementation for urban and local impact is essential. New partnerships are emerging for planning, finance and implementation.
