Local leaders demanded direct funding for municipal climate projects on Tuesday at the COP31 summit, pushing national governments to turn global climate pledges into practical local action.
The resilient cities day brought together mayors and regional delegates from around the world for the first high-level dialogue on adaptation at a UN climate conference, cor.europa.eu reported. Delegates pressed for money to flow straight to cities and regions to fight extreme weather, ranging from heatwaves in Athens to adaptation projects in Flanders.
“We are the climate doers, not the climate delayers,” Sadiq Khan, told cor.europa.eu.
Konstantinos Bakoyannis, president of the European Committee of the Regions' ENVE commission, argued that effective resilience requires multi-level governance and steady financing that reaches local authorities directly. Speaking at a session hosted by the EU Covenant of Mayors, Bakoyannis drew on Athens’ struggles with extreme heat to illustrate how local climate priorities must transform into credible investment pipelines.
Similar warnings came from Dan Boyle, who spoke during a debate organized by the Z Zurich Foundation and ICLEI.
“Resilience has to be designed with communities and not just for them,” said Dan Boyle.
Delegates also highlighted practical regional examples. Andries Gryffroy pointed to Flanders as a model for turning climate knowledge into nature-based local actions, while Nadia Pellefigue stressed the importance of interregional cooperation during discussions at the French-speaking Francophonie pavilion.
The European Committee of the Regions and the government of Quebec signed a cooperation agreement on December 11, 2025, cementing climate action as a shared priority. The partnership reinforces the role of subnational authorities in upcoming UN climate negotiations.
Municipal officials continue their discussions on local adaptation metrics and direct financing mechanisms as the summit progresses toward its final outcomes.
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