Bonn Climate Conference: Daring Cities 2024 Takes the Lead

Daring Cities 2024, organized by ICLEI and hosted by the Federal City of Bonn, Germany aims to strengthen the capacity and engagement of local and regional government leaders in the international climate dialogue, connecting them to the broader agenda of upcoming COPs and ensuring their pivotal role in advancing towards new climate goals in advance of UNFCCC COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in 2025.

Exploring Collective Action

Building on the success and insights from previous years, Daring Cities 2024 will explore the theme of collective action in the face of the climate emergency. The event will facilitate exchanges among policymakers, technical experts, and leaders worldwide to share knowledge, showcase innovative climate actions, and foster ambitious and unlikely collaborations. Daring Cities 2024 is designed to empower local and regional governments to become leaders in climate action, advocating for integrated solutions that address the interconnected challenges of the climate emergency, biodiversity loss, and urban resilience.

Key Dialogues:Advancing Global Climate Goals

As Daring Cities 2024 unfolds, participants will engage in a series of dialogues, workshops, and high-level roundtables designed to bridge gaps between national and subnational climate actions. The event’s structure, built around the Know-Act-Lead approach, aims to elevate the discourse on climate action by providing a platform for sharing cutting-edge research, best practices, and innovative solutions.

Key sessions will focus on the implementation of the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) initiative for Climate Action. These discussions will explore ways to enhance collaboration across government levels and sectors, identifying pathways for integrating local actions into national and international climate agendas.

Know-Act-Lead: Bonn’s Role in Climate Action

The framework of Daring Cities 2024 is anchored in the three pivotal cornerstones of Reflect, Exchange, and Advocate.

• Reflect serves as the foundation, facilitating a period of introspection and assessment of past climate actions and outcomes, particularly those of UNFCCC COP28, to ensure a seamless transition into the current year’s initiatives.
• Exchange focuses on fostering dialogues and sharing insights across local and regional governments, technical experts, and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of multilevel collaboration and the dissemination of cutting-edge knowledge and effective climate action practices.
• Advocate extends the reach of Daring Cities 2024 beyond its immediate community, empowering representatives to carry the event’s key messages into wider arenas, including major international environmental conferences, with efforts culminating at UNFCCC COP29. This advocacy is critical for influencing and integrating local and regional climate action into national and global agendas.

Connecting Local Actions to Global Agendas: The Road to COP30

As Daring Cities 2024 sets the stage for future climate action, it emphasizes the pivotal role that local and regional governments play in shaping global climate outcomes. The event not only strengthens the capacity of these governments but also ensures their engagement in the international climate dialogue, paving the way for new climate goals as the world approaches COP30 in 2025.

Find out more about Daring Cities 2024 here.