How Subnational Governments Function as Climate Change Agents

Climate change is a global challenge, but meaningful action often happens closer to home. While international treaties and national policies set the direction, subnational governments-cities, states, regions, and municipalities-are increasingly recognized as indispensable agents of climate action. These local authorities manage transportation networks, regulate buildings, oversee waste systems, and shape land use decisions that directly determine a nation’s carbon footprint. Understanding how subnational governments function as climate change agents requires tracing the evolution of global frameworks that first recognized their critical role.

Global climate leadership frameworks: where it all began 🔗

The foundation for integrating environmental concerns into local governance emerged from two landmark moments in the late 20th century: the Brundtland Report of 1987 and the Earth Summit of 1992.

The Brundtland Report (1987) 🔗

The Brundtland Report, formally titled “Our Common Future,” was published by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) under the leadership of Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. This groundbreaking document introduced and defined sustainable development as meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The report explored interconnections between social equity, economic growth, and environmental problems, arguing that these issues could not be addressed in isolation.

Critically, the Brundtland Report highlighted that population growth and urbanization were placing enormous stress on environmental systems. It predicted that more people would live in cities than in rural areas in the 21st century-a forecast that has proven accurate. The report recognized that rapidly growing cities face major environmental problems unless well-managed, calling for greater attention to issues of local government and municipal management.

By placing environmental issues firmly on the political agenda and framing environment and development as interconnected concerns, the Brundtland Report laid essential groundwork for subsequent international action. It directly influenced the convening of the 1992 Earth Summit.

The Earth Summit (1992): Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 🔗

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, brought together 178 governments and thousands of representatives from NGOs and civil society. The “Earth Summit” concluded that sustainable development was an attainable goal for all people, whether at local, national, regional, or international levels.

Two foundational documents emerged from this historic gathering:

The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development established 27 principles to guide sustainable development globally. It defined the rights and responsibilities of nations in environmental protection and affirmed that economic progress depends critically on preserving natural resources. The declaration emphasized that long-term economic progress must be linked with environmental protection.

Agenda 21 became the more operationally significant outcome. This comprehensive action plan comprised 40 chapters addressing sustainable development across multiple dimensions. One major objective was that every local government should draw up its own local Agenda 21. Chapter 28, titled “Local Authorities’ Initiatives in Support of Agenda 21,” explicitly recognized cities and municipalities as essential partners in achieving sustainability goals-giving birth to the global Local Agenda 21 movement.

Local Agenda 21: empowering communities 🔗

The Local Agenda 21 (LA21) initiative transformed abstract international commitments into concrete local action. Chapter 28 of Agenda 21 appealed to local authorities to engage in dialogue with their communities about sustainable development. This dialogue was designed to go beyond traditional consultation, creating new participation processes where local authorities and stakeholders work together to identify common goals and create working partnerships.

European leadership in LA21 implementation 🔗

Europe emerged as the continent where Local Agenda 21 was most extensively accepted and implemented. The European Union actively promoted the initiative, calling upon local authorities to establish LA21 processes that would foster community participation, cooperation, and coordination between municipalities globally.

By 1997, 70% of UK local authorities had committed to Agenda 21 implementation, with many employing dedicated Agenda 21 officers. Sweden achieved remarkable coverage, with 100% of municipalities adopting LA21 by 2002. Overall, reports identified over 5,000 local governments in Europe engaged in LA21 activities-representing the vast majority of LA21 processes worldwide.

Shortly after the Earth Summit, leading European cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam launched Local Agenda 21 initiatives, developed sustainability indicators, and set carbon dioxide reduction targets. These early adopters demonstrated that cities could become important players in climate governance at national, European, and global levels.

What LA21 implementation requires 🔗

Implementing Local Agenda 21 required local governments to fundamentally restructure their operations. Municipalities needed to decentralize governance, reform departmental structures, and change traditional procedures. The process demanded involvement of the entire local authority-elected officials, officers, all departments, and all levels of responsibility. As a result, these local governments became more open, more participatory, and more dedicated to the sustainable development agenda.

UNFCCC and local government networks 🔗

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), established at the Earth Summit, recognized the need for public awareness on climate issues. This recognition helped catalyze the formation of coalitions of local government networks that would advocate for subnational action within international climate processes.

ICLEI: pioneering local climate action 🔗

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability emerged as the most significant transnational network of local governments engaging in climate action. Founded in 1990, ICLEI has represented networks of local and regional governments at UNFCCC proceedings since 1995. The organization launched its “Cities for Climate Protection” campaign in 1993, providing a framework for municipalities to measure emissions, set reduction targets, and implement action plans.

ICLEI developed the LA21 Planning Guide in 1996, helping local governments translate international sustainability goals into practical local initiatives. The organization also holds unique observer status for all three Rio Conventions-the UNFCCC, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Convention to Combat Desertification-demonstrating the growing recognition of cities in global environmental governance.

The Local Governments and Municipal Authorities Constituency 🔗

The Local Governments and Municipal Authorities Constituency (LGMA) serves as the official voice of cities and regions within the UNFCCC climate negotiation process. Since the first Conference of Parties (COP) in 1995, the LGMA has grown to include more than 45 accredited networks representing local and regional governments worldwide.

The 2015 Paris Agreement marked a turning point, recognizing the essential role of subnational governments in enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and driving transformative climate action. Since then, the LGMA has advocated for processes that systematically recognize, engage, and empower local governments as central actors in global climate strategies.

Interdependence between governance levels 🔗

Climate resilience requires coordinated action across all levels of government. The relationship between federal, state, and local entities involves planning, coordination, capacity building, and sharing best practices. This “multilevel governance” approach recognizes that national governments cannot achieve their climate commitments alone.

Vertical integration: the Colombia model 🔗

Colombia provides an instructive example of how nations can develop vertically integrated climate change systems. The country has established SISCLIMA, a National Climate Change Decree that serves as a formal coordinating system including the public sector, private sector, and civil society. This whole-of-government approach facilitates collaboration on climate challenges.

Beyond the national level, Colombia has integrated climate change into subnational plans and sector strategies. Over 80% of Colombian territories have developed their own Territorial Climate Change Action Plans that address specific local needs and challenges. Mitigation and adaptation measures have been incorporated into Departmental Development Plans, Municipal Development Plans, Land Management Plans, and Management Plans for River Basins.

In cities like Cali, Valledupar, and Montería, short-term projects are advancing both local priorities and national climate targets. Cali is installing solar panels on public buildings to reduce fossil-fuel dependence. Valledupar is developing a linear eco-park along the Guatapurí River for flood protection and green infrastructure. Montería is transforming old wastewater treatment areas into a botanical garden that will serve recreation, education, and biodiversity conservation.

The CHAMP initiative 🔗

Recognizing the central role of multilevel governance, the COP28 presidency launched the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) for Climate Action in December 2023. Developed in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and supported by organizations including WRI and ICLEI, CHAMP aims to strengthen collaboration between national and subnational governments in planning and implementing climate targets.

To date, 78 countries representing 34% of global population, 58% of global GDP, and 36% of global emissions have joined CHAMP. Colombia, as an early endorser, submitted its updated NDC in September 2025 with strengthened coordination between national and subnational levels explicitly incorporated into its commitments.

Subnational action as essential 🔗

The evidence is clear: nations cannot meet their international climate obligations without explicit involvement of subnational governments. Achieving climate goals requires a whole-of-government approach involving multiple ministries and subnational governments. Cities generate the majority of global emissions but are also hubs of innovation where transformative solutions can be tested and scaled.

Why subnational governments matter 🔗

Subnational governments are key implementers of climate policies. They manage transportation systems, regulate building codes, oversee waste management, control land use, and deliver public services. Two-thirds of NDCs reference the urban dimension of climate action, yet the development of most NDCs still lacks sufficient engagement with subnational actors.

Many cities have already committed to ambitious mitigation targets through networks like ICLEI, C40, and the Global Covenant of Mayors. Reflecting subnational ambition in national-level targets ensures that NDCs represent the highest possible ambition. Successful local initiatives can inspire national policies, while national frameworks can provide the incentives and resources cities need to scale their actions.

Challenges to multilevel climate action 🔗

Despite progress, significant challenges remain. Cities often struggle to find clear financial incentives for including NDC-related actions in their local plans. Technical knowledge gaps persist, particularly in smaller municipalities. Political support at the local level is essential but not always present. Vertical coordination between national and subnational levels requires clear allocation of roles and responsibilities.

The European Committee of the Regions has urged member states to establish national coordination structures for multilevel adaptation with clear criteria for organizing competences and responsibilities, warning that lack of clarity can lead to implementation failures with severe consequences.

Looking forward: the role of cities in climate governance 🔗

From the Brundtland Report’s recognition of urban environmental challenges to the CHAMP initiative’s focus on multilevel partnerships, the trajectory is clear: subnational governments have moved from peripheral actors to essential partners in global climate governance. The EU Covenant of Mayors has mobilized over 10,000 cities and towns to commit to climate and energy goals, demonstrating that local leadership and bottom-up action are driving forward ambitious climate agendas.

The next decade will be critical. As countries submit increasingly ambitious NDCs and work toward net-zero targets by mid-century, the success of these commitments will depend substantially on what happens in cities, towns, and regions. The frameworks established over the past three decades have created pathways for local action; the challenge now is implementation at the scale and speed the climate crisis demands.

What do you think? How effectively is your local government integrating climate action into its development plans? What mechanisms would most help bridge the gap between national climate commitments and local implementation?

References

1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Brundtland-Report
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Common_Future
3. https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/rio1992
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agenda_21
5. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-9325-8_10
6. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09644016.2019.1521979
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Summit
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICLEI
9. https://www.cities-and-regions.org/about-the-lgma/
10. https://www.wri.org/update/profiles-adaptation-colombia
11. https://ndcpartnership.org/news/country-insight-colombia
12. https://www.wri.org/update/how-multilevel-action-advances-colombias-economic-transformation-and-climate-goals
13. https://www.wri.org/insights/nationally-determined-contributions-ndcs-explained
14. https://ndcpartnership.org/sites/default/files/2023-09/engagling-subnational-governments-climate-actioninsight-briefmarch-2020.pdf
15. https://ndcnavigator.org/routes/temperature-goal/disaggregating-targets/
16. https://cor.europa.eu/en/news/regions-and-cities-urge-step-climate-adaptation-efforts-through-multilevel-action
17. https://cor.europa.eu/en/news/mayors-gather-brussels-showcase-how-local-climate-leadership-securing-europes-future