TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Krishna Namburi, City Manager
FROM: Brian D. Martin, PE, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
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Update on the City’s Participation at the Local Leaders Forum.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Natural Environment Stewardship; Safe and Healthy Community; Safe, Reliable and Efficient Infrastructure
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SUMMARY:
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The City of Salem was invited by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) to participate in the 2025 Local Leaders Forum. The event was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 3-5, 2025. City Councilor Varney (Ward 8) and Climate Action Plan Manager Julianah Douglas represented the City of Salem at this event, which had approximately 2,000 participants from around the world. The Local Leaders Forum provided a platform to discuss climate action progress at the local level and to set goals for the upcoming year. The Forum took place immediately prior to the Conference of Parties (COP) and served as a local government backdrop to this annual gathering of national leaders. Salem's participation at the Forum is part of its involvement in ICLEI’s Capital Cities Clean Energy Collaborative, which aims to advance policies for building decarbonization.
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ISSUE:
Information only.
RECOMMENDATION:
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Information only.
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FACTS AND FINDINGS:
The Local Leaders Forum was conducted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Forum brought approximately 2,000 mayors, governors, and regional leaders from cities, towns, states and provinces from around the world to report on the progress of local climate actions and to chart the path forward.
The Local Leaders Forum celebrated local leadership, strengthened collaboration, and built on the momentum for climate action. The Forum served to amplify the voices of those sub-national governments that are committed to achieving a low-carbon, equitable future.
Local action is a critical component of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 55% of the global population resides in cities. Overall, cities account for about 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Marking ten years since local leaders first gathered in Paris, the Local Leaders Forum celebrated a decade of achievement and showcased solutions that can be unlocked when cities, states, and national governments work together.
Through the convening at the Local Leaders Forum, elected representatives identified three key takeaways to be conveyed on behalf of the Local Leaders to national government delegates at the COP.
1. Partnering in Implementation: Supporting countries in achieving national climate goals through collaborative action and a just, resilient transition.
2. Unlocking Finance: Establishing a robust pipeline of over 2,500 transformative and bankable local projects to facilitate climate finance for mitigation and adaptation.
3. Strengthening Accountability: Promoting multilevel collaboration to ensure that the COP process focuses on implementation and accountability. Local leaders are eager to enhance partnerships across all levels of government.
Councilor Varney and staff engaged with many leaders at the Local Leaders Forum. Councilor Varney highlighted the work by the City Salem and the Salem community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resiliency.
City Council approved Councilor Varney’s and Ms. Douglas’ participation in the Local Leaders Summit at its October 13, 2025, meeting (File No. 25-373). Funding for Councilor Varney was from the General Fund; funding for Ms. Douglas was from the Utility Fund. A press release issued by ICLEI is provided as Attachment 1.
BACKGROUND:
The Local Leaders Forum was hosted by the COP 30 Presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Every year, this gathering provides an opportunity for representatives of local governments to showcase their community’s actions that address global climate change, actions that include reducing greenhouse gases and enhancing resiliency. Conducted in advance of the annual Conference of Parties (COP), the Forum serves to provide a local government perspective to the gathering of national leaders.
Immediately following the Local Leaders Forum was the Conference of Parties (COP) gathering in Belém, Brazil. The theme of COP30 was "global mutirão" (“multirão is Portuguese for “joint effort”) which emphasizes continuous mobilization and collaboration for climate action. COP first convened in 1995 in Berlin, Germany, as a global response to climate change. In 1997, 197 parties attended COP3 in Kyoto, Japan, to sign the Kyoto Protocol. COP21, the conference’s twenty-first gathering in 2015, marked the negotiation and ultimate signing of the Paris Agreement, which established a science-based framework to limit global warming to below 1.5°C.
Robert D. Chandler, PhD, PE
Assistant Public Works Director
Attachments:
1. Attachment 1 - Press Release dated November 5, 2025. “ICLEI USA Launches Capital Cities Collaborative to Accelerate Sustainable Buildings and Transportation Policies”