City, State & Global Diplomacy – Bridging the subnational and international in climate foreign polic

Addressing the climate crisis necessitates unprecedented global cooperation, but subnational leaders often lack strong representation in national and international climate forums. While world leaders have made progress, cities, regions, and states have become vital in achieving climate goals and filling the gaps left by national inaction. However, they face limitations in engaging internationally due to resource constraints and limited experience.

This event brought together representatives from New York and Bonn to share insights on engaging with national governments and infusing subnational perspectives into climate policy discussions, complemented by remarks from U.S. and German national representatives and support from ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – in advancing international networks for this purpose.