Brazil and Germany announced as first CHAMP Co-Chairs, marking the start of the coalition’s implementation phase beyond COP30.
Belém, Brazil (11 November 2025) — At a high-level ministerial session of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change at COP30, the Government of Brazil unveiled two milestones to advance multilevel climate governance: the launch of the Plan to Accelerate the Solution (PAS) on Multilevel Governance and the announcement of a new co-chair governance framework for the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP), to be jointly led by Brazil and Germany until 2027.
Launched in 2023 during COP28, the coalition is a platform to enhance collaboration between national and subnational governments in climate policy and finance. As of today, 77 countries and the European Union have endorsed CHAMP, demonstrating a growing global commitment to multilevel governance.
The “High-Level Ministerial Panel on Multilevel Governance for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement and Climate Strategies”, hosted by the COP30 Presidency, Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Brazil’s Ministry of Cities, and UN-Habitat, brought together ministers and senior officials from national and subnational levels to discuss integrated approaches to achieving the Paris Agreement goals.
Yesterday, in his speech, ambassador André Corrêa do Lago highlighted the importance of national, regional, and local collaboration around a shared agenda for tackling the climate crisis: “The presence of governors and mayors is extremely important, because subnational entities play a central role in implementing the decisions made at COPs. It is essential that the world sees the unity that exists in Brazil – across all levels of government – around an agenda that, as we know, will be extraordinary for growth, job creation, and improving people’s lives.”
Accelerating Multilevel Governance to Advance Climate Action
The Plan to Accelerate the Solution (PAS) of Multilevel, Multisectoral, and Participatory Governance Model for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement marks a new phase in global climate cooperation, serving as the implementation instrument of the CHAMP Coalition. It is the first of its kind global effort to institutionalize multilevel climate governance as an enabling condition for effective implementation of the Paris Agreement. Coordinated by the COP30 Presidency and the Government of Brazil (Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and Ministry of Cities), in collaboration with UN-Habitat, CHAMP partners, and a wide coalition of global and regional institutions, it represents the largest coordinated mobilization ever led by a COP Presidency to strengthen collaboration between national and subnational governments – bridging political commitment, institutional reform, and access to finance.
To drive this operational delivery, the PAS has established clear, measurable targets. By 2028, the plan aims for 100 national climate plans and NDC implementation plans to officially include multilevel governance structures and mechanisms, with a view to 120 plans by 2030. A significant focus is placed on enhancing capacity, with a target to train 6,000 public officials and practitioners in CHAMP-endorsing and other countries by 2028. This training, to be delivered through ongoing programmes, centers on multilevel governance and climate action to accelerate the delivery of the Paris Agreement.
The PAS moves the coalition from political commitment to operational delivery by connecting policy, capacity building, and finance across all levels of government. The PAS brings countries together with international partners and subnational networks to align national ambition with local action, integrate local priorities into NDCs, and institutionalize multilevel governance as a foundation for achieving the Paris Agreement’s goals.
The plan positions multilevel collaboration as a key solution for scaling effective climate action. It establishes a structured process to link national, regional, and local efforts under a shared framework designed to strengthen implementation.
Developed within the COP30 Presidency’s Action Agenda, it aligns with Axis IV: “Building Resilience for Cities, Infrastructure, and Water”, where Multilevel Governance is one of five key objectives under this axis. The COP30 Action Agenda includes six thematic axes and 30 specific objectives, each supported by activation groups that bring together governments, businesses, investors, and communities to deliver coordinated results.
Implementation of the PAS will be led by Brazil’s Ministry of Cities and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, supported by UN-Habitat and CHAMP, and in collaboration with C40 Cities, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), and WRI, among other global initiatives. Over the coming months, these partners will refine the framework and support the activation of collaborative initiatives at both national and local levels.
A New Era for the CHAMP Coalition
The event also marked a new chapter for the CHAMP Coalition, which has grown to 78 endorsers since its launch at COP28. Brazil and Germany were announced as the first Co-Chairs of the coalition in a new formal, country-led governance framework – guiding the coalition’s next phase of action in partnership with local governments and global networks beyond COP30. This transition to a structured, government-led framework strengthens CHAMP’s capacity to guide international cooperation on multilevel governance and support practical implementation at all levels of government.
Following consultations since New York Climate Week, members have endorsed a Co-Chair and Steering Group model, ensuring that decision-making and coordination reflect national ownership. The Co-Chairs will serve a two-year term, responsible for guiding CHAMP’s activities, shaping its governance structure, and overseeing the CHAMP Secretariat, in consultation with members of the Steering Group. The nomination process for Steering Group members remains open and will conclude by the end of this month with a minimum of six acting members.
From the outset, Brazil has played a leading role in championing the coalition’s vision for stronger collaboration between national and subnational governments. This leadership was reaffirmed through the explicit inclusion of CHAMP in Brazil’s revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), underscoring the country’s commitment to institutionalizing multilevel governance as a cornerstone of climate implementation.
The updated EU NDC reaffirms the importance of involving and empowering all levels of governance to drive effective climate action. As a federal state, Germany promotes multilevel climate action nationally and internationally, including through the International Climate Initiative (IKI). Since 2008, IKI has supported 1,000+ climate and biodiversity projects worldwide, including subnational initiatives, with nearly 7.5 billion euros. Building on this experience, Germany has played a central role in shaping the coalition and advancing its global implementation, helping to translate CHAMP’s commitments into tangible climate action.
