CoM SSA Mayors elevate local priorities in global advocacy events
Published: 3 Dec 2025
Events
November brought together urban, national, private sector and diplomatic leaders at three major global climate events, the Local Leaders Forum (LLF), the Urban Transition Mission (UTM) Summit and the long-anticipated COP30. Across these events, CoM SSA Mayors amplified the priorities and perspectives of African local governments, how city-level climate action is gaining momentum across the continent, and how, with the right partnerships, local leaders can scale these actions to drive meaningful, lasting change.
Building on the momentum of the Africa Climate Summit 2 (ACS2) held in September, in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), where CoM SSA actively advocated for the inclusion of cities in the Addis Ababa Declaration, securing the recognition of subnational leadership in Africa’s climate commitments.
At the ACS2, the CoM SSA Regional Mayors Forum (RMF), 12 signatories transparently elected from across the four subregions of sub-Saharan Africa, agreed on three clear advocacy messages to drive forward at 2025’s advocacy events. Speaking on behalf of 400+ CoM SSA signatories, the RMF calls for:
- Devolved climate finance for local governments,
- Institutionalising multilevel governance for NDC delivery,
- Addressing loss and damage through just and inclusive climate transitions.
Connecting with urban leaders from across the world
On the sidelines, CoM SSA strengthened ties with the broader Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) community. CoM SSA RMF Chairperson, Mayor Émile Gros Raymond Nakombo (Bangui, Central African Republic), and Mayor Yawo Winny Dogbatse (Kloto 1, Togo), met with Mayor Carolina Basualdo (Despeñaderos, Argentina), Chair of the GCoM Latin America RMF.
Their discussion highlighted the shared challenges faced by cities in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America — from rapid urbanisation, infrastructure deficits and climate-induced disasters to limited access to data and finance and identified opportunities for cross-regional collaboration and learning.
GCoM Board Members, Co-Chairs, and Ambassadors convened on the sidelines of the LLF to engage in meaningful discussions towards delivering tangible climate adaptation results and achieving the Paris Agreement goals, while negotiations are underway on the eve of COP30. CoM SSA RMF Chairperson Mayor Nakombo, serving as GCoM Board Nominee for Africa, joined the meeting, showcasing CoM SSA’s work, RMF leadership, and the progress of Bangui’s Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan(SEACAP) implementation.
CoM SSA Mayors also met with the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) for an exchange, coordinated by ICLEI. The Mayors discussed building bridges between cities united by shared histories, cultures and climate ambitions. Alongside, the LLF, the Association Internationale des Maires Francophones (AIMF) organised a closed meeting attended by several Francophone CoM SSA RMF Mayors where they met with the Mayor of Paris (France), Anne Hidalgo.
At the C40 Africa Regional Convening event held during LLF, the RMF Chair, Mayor Nakombo emphasised the urgent need for predictable, decentralised climate finance and formalised multilevel governance.
These engagements go a long way in shaping global narratives where African cities are accurately represented as innovative implementing agents in building a sustainable future for all.
Sharing African stories of change with the global community
“Local governments are on the front line of climate action, yet the systems frustrate us. We don’t have the empowerment, the funding mechanisms, or the approvals we need — and that must change. Collaboration makes the impossible possible. When cities join networks like CoM SSA or ICLEI Africa, we move from words to action — and finally get exposed to the funders who can help us deliver for our people.” ~ Trevino Forbes, Mayor of Walvis Bay, CoM SSA RMF member
The Urban Transition Mission (UTM) Summit was held in Rio on 6 November 2025. At the UTM Summit, RMF members, Mayors Trevino Forbes (Walvis Bay, Namibia) and Manuel de Araújo (Quelimane, Mozambique) shared lessons learned and success stories, showing how investment and innovation can turn policy into action. The Summit drilled into project design, financing, and implementation, highlighting the power of blended finance to accelerate urban transformation.
“For Quelimane, data is our most valuable climate-resilience currency. Without it, we are flying blind in a hurricane — unable to convince partners or protect our people. When Cyclone Freddy wiped out our data and infrastructure, we rebuilt from zero. Today, thanks to digital mapping and transparent metrics, Quelimane is earning back investor trust and delivering real resilience on the ground.” ~ Manuel de Araújo, Mayor of Quelimane, CoM SSA RMF member
COP30: the ‘implementation COP’
Ten years after the Paris Agreement, COP30 in Belém (Brazil), held from 10-21 November 2025, took place under a stark scientific warning: global climate action remains far off track, with the world rapidly heading toward a significant overshoot of the 1.5 °C target. For this reason, COP30 was dubbed the “Implementation COP” with the COP30 Presidency urging for global attention to shift from negotiation to implementation, and implementation begins at the local level.
At COP30, CoM SSA Mayors elevated African perspectives across various sessions.
Fatimetou Abdel Malick
Ahead of COP30, CoM SSA launched a social media campaign, African Voices at COP30, around the RMF’s three advocacy messages.
The global political landscape around COP30 also intersected with major geopolitical developments relevant to Africa. The 2025 G20 Summit, the first held on African soil, reinforced alignment with the Paris Agreement, prioritised adaptation, resilience, clean cooking, food security and sustainable development finance, and elevated African leadership within global climate governance. South Africa’s successful G20 Presidency lays important groundwork for an Africa-led COP32 in Ethiopia, creating strategic opportunities for CoM SSA cities and the RMF over the next three years.
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