Spain Joins CHAMP Coalition to Strengthen Climate Action With Cities and Regions

Spain Joins CHAMP Coalition to Strengthen Climate Action With Cities and Regions New York (September 23, 2026) — Vice President Sara Aagesen today announced Spain’s endorsement of the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) for Climate Action during Climate Week NYC, strengthening the growing coalition of national governments working with cities and regions to accelerate climate action.

Claves de la nota

• España se suma a la coalición CHAMP junto a 78 países y la Unión Europea para mejorar la colaboración climática.
• Las ciudades generan más de la mitad de la población mundial y aproximadamente el 70% de las emisiones de CO2 relacionadas con la energía.
• Ocho ciudades españolas han recibido el sello de la misión de la UE por sus planes hacia la neutralidad climática en 2030.

With Spain’s endorsement, CHAMP now brings together 78 countries and the European Union committed to improving collaboration across national, regional and local governments on climate policy, implementation and finance. “Spain is pleased to support CHAMP, a key initiative to strengthen cooperation among national, regional and local governments,” Aagesen noted at the United Nations General Assembly. “CHAMP aims to reduce emissions and increase climate resilience through concerted action at all levels of government.” The announcement comes amid growing international recognition that climate goals can only be achieved when all levels of government work together. “Cities, states and regions are where a lot of the work on climate change gets done, and they can accomplish much more when national governments are working with them,” said Michael R.

Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and Founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies. “Spain continues to show how that kind of close partnership can deliver results.

We’re glad to welcome Spain to CHAMP, and I want to thank the Spanish government for its leadership and commitment to climate progress.” Cities account for more than half the world’s population and an estimated 70% of energy-related CO2 emissions, but national governments shape much of the fiscal and policy environment in which they operate.

CHAMP aims to close planning, financing and implementation gaps between cities, states, regions and national governments so that national climate ambition translates more quickly into results for communities.

Spain Brings a Strong Track Record of Climate Action From National to Local Levels Spain joins CHAMP after successive years of extreme heat, drought, floods and wildfires have disrupted people’s lives and livelihoods and put growing pressure on infrastructure and public services.

These impacts have reinforced the need for stronger coordination across national, regional and local governments.

The Spanish government has pushed for closer coordination, recognizing that national climate commitments are most effective when translated into action at the local level.

It has also worked with cities through initiatives such as citiES2030, which supports urban climate neutrality efforts across the country.

Eight Spanish cities have received the EU Mission Label, recognizing their plans to become climate-neutral by 2030. “Spain’s experience with growing climate risks, from extreme heat to wildfires, underscores the importance of coordination across national, regional and local government,” said Ulf Jaeckel, CHAMP Co-Chair and Head of International Adaptation to the Climate Change Division, BMUKN, Germany. “As a highly decentralized country, Spain has built valuable experience in making that cooperation work in practice — lessons that can now benefit other countries through CHAMP.” A Growing Coalition Focused on Delivering Results “COP30 in Brazil underscored a reality that is central to climate action: delivering on our climate goals requires governments to work together across every level,” said Ambassador Antônio Da Costa, CHAMP Co-Chair and Chief International Advisor at the Ministry of Cities, Brazil. “In a country as diverse as Brazil, from Amazonian cities to coastal and rural regions, national ambition must be connected to the priorities, capacities and realities of states and municipalities.

Multilevel partnerships are not simply a governance aspiration; they are how we turn climate commitments into investment, stronger resilience and better lives for people and communities.

We are pleased to welcome Spain to the CHAMP community and look forward to working together to strengthen multilevel climate action and turn this shared ambition into real-world results.” Earlier this year, the coalition launched its 2026-2028 Implementation Roadmap, led by a nine-country Steering Group and co-chairs Brazil and Germany, as well as a Subnational Advisory Council of mayors and governors chaired by former Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo. “Climate action becomes real in our cities and communities,” said Anne Hidalgo, Chair of the CHAMP Subnational Advisory Council and Global Ambassador for the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM). “Spanish cities are already showing what is possible, from building resilience to creating cleaner, healthier and more liveable places for people.

But cities cannot do this alone.

Spain’s endorsement of CHAMP is a powerful signal that national, regional and local governments must work together to turn climate ambition into action on the ground.

This is how we can deliver a safer and more sustainable future for our communities.” Spain’s endorsement builds momentum for CHAMP ahead of COP31 in Türkiye, where coalition members will continue advancing multilevel partnerships to translate climate ambition into action on-the-ground for people and communities. —

Añadir como fuente preferida en Google