Finland has joined COP28’s Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP), showcasing its commitment to strengthening collaboration across all levels of government to deliver effective climate action.
Spearheaded by ICLEI First Vice President Minna Arve, Mayor of Turku, Finland, the country’s endorsement of CHAMP shows that leaders at every level are working together to solve the climate emergency.
“Cities are on the frontline of the climate work, and I’m really proud that we already have in Finland very strong cooperation between the national government, regions, and cities, and this is a way to make it even more systemic,” said Mayor Arve in a joint video message with Finland’s Minister of Climate and the Environment, Kai Mykkänen, announcing the country’s endorsement of CHAMP during Climate Week in New York City.
Finland is the first country to join CHAMP in 2024, totaling 73 nations that have officially pledged to the initiative. They all have committed to enhancing cooperation with their local, regional, and other subnational governments in planning, financing, implementing, and monitoring ambitious climate strategies, including their upcoming Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
“By joining the CHAMP initiative we want to give our support to the work done at the regional level, both in Finland and globally,” emphasized Minister Mykkänen in a press release by the Finish Ministry of the Environment.
ICLEI leaders around the world are advocating for the continued support and implementation of CHAMP since its launch at COP28. For instance, Katja Dörner, Mayor of Bonn, Germany, and chair of the Climate Action Governance Portfolio for the ICLEI Global Executive Committee called on her fellow ICLEI Members to proactively engage with their national governments and national associations of local governments to enhance NDCs by 2025 and support CHAMP. National associations of local governments in Germany, Brazil, and the United States called on their national governments to support the initiative, joining a global movement to push for stronger local involvement in national climate plans.
News