Town Hall COPs: Connecting climate action at all levels

South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment announced its official endorsement of the Town Hall COP Initiative, the first-ever national government to do so. In partnership, ICLEI and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) will offer a series of Town Hall COPs in communities across the country.

This Daring Cities Virtual Forum session, featured insights from national and local leaders from South Africa and Australia on how the Town Hall COP Initiative is emerging as a powerful model to make climate action locally led, transformation-oriented, and most importantly, nationally relevant. Watch the recording.

Since launching in early 2025, the Town Hall COP Initiative has gained momentum, with 70+ local governments and civil society organizations registered to host an event. Seven cities in six countries have already hosted their Town Hall COPs, and South Africa became the first national government to officially endorse the initiative.

On 13 March 2025, Greater Sydney hosted one of the first Town Hall COPs for 2025 - part of a growing global effort to place local priorities at the center of national and international climate decision-making.

Town Hall COPs are redefining what inclusive, multilevel climate governance looks like on the road to COP30.

Looking ahead to COP30, what cities and regions do in advance of this global climate summit may matter more than the conference itself. On the road to Belém, local and regional governments have a unique opportunity to engage with their national governments, shift the trajectory of the climate emergency, and push for inclusive, multilevel climate action.

On Earth Day, 22 April 2025, ICLEI launched the Town Hall COP Initiative. In the months that follow, cities and towns around the world will host their own “Town Hall COPs.” The outcomes of these dialogues will be shared with national governments and integrated into the UNFCCC process through ICLEI’s role as Focal Point of the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency.