The ‘Delhi Declaration’ on Local Action for Global Climate Goals emerged as the key outcome of the first ARISE Cities Forum 2025 co-hosted by ICLEI South Asia and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). The Delhi Declaration unites voices from across the Global South in a shared call for stronger multilevel cooperation and accelerated urban climate action, setting the stage for the upcoming COP30 at Belém, Brazil.
Through the Declaration, more than 200 delegates from 60 cities and 25 countries representing local, subnational, and national governments, the private sector, and other key stakeholders pledged to amplify urban voices and strengthen collaboration across cities, sectors, and borders to ensure that priorities of resilience, equity, and sustainability are reflected in global climate outcomes.
At the forum inaugural on October 8, 2025, the Delhi Declaration was backed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA) , Government of India and the United Nations Resident Coordinator. 16 organisations supported and 17 organisations endorsed the ARISE Cities Forum 2025 where the Delhi Declaration was adopted.
UN Resident Coordinator in India, Mr Shombi Sharp added: “The Delhi Declaration presents a very important collective voice for urban ambition, spotlighting the vital streams of climate resilient housing, inclusive and universal design, and financing for local governments, all vital contributions to COP30.”
Adopted with a vote by the show of hands at the close of the two-day ARISE Cities Forum, the Delhi Declaration was handed over by Hon’ble Shankar Lalwani, Member of Parliament, Indore, and Mentor, Climate Parliament, India to Rodrigo De Souza Corradi, Deputy Executive Secretary and Director, ICLEI South America. The Declaration will be handed over to the COP30 Presidency in Belém as a collective statement of urban ambition, underscoring the leadership of cities in driving resilient, equitable, and sustainable climate action. At the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, Hon’ble MP Shri Shankar Lalwani said: “With the Delhi Declaration, we send a clear message from Bharat to Belém: the future of climate action will be shaped in cities. This collective vision must inform global decisions at COP30 and beyond.” Dr Debolina Kundu, Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), highlighted: “The Delhi Declaration is a strong testament that while cities face climate challenges, strong collaboration can lead to transformative change. Let’s carry the spirit of ARISE into our cities, ensuring that climate solutions are practical, adaptive, and inclusive.” Mr Emani Kumar, Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI, Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia stated: “With the ‘Delhi Declaration’, we affirm our collective resolve to contribute on Local Action for Global Climate Goals at and beyond the success of COP30 in Belém by amplifying urban voices and presenting concrete commitments from cities of the Global South from the Indian subcontinent and beyond.” At COP30, in Belém, Brazil, ICLEI will represent the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities constituency and lead the sub-national / local governments pavilion in the Blue Zone, the area for urban governments and leaders to lead conversations and collaborate for larger climate goals.
The Declaration represents a landmark affirmation of the role of cities and local governments as indispensable actors in global climate governance. By aligning with COP30’s Action Agenda and echoing the outcomes of the Global Stocktake, it signals that urban leadership is central to achieving the Paris Agreement’s goals. It strengthens the LGMA’s long-standing advocacy for recognising subnational contributions through enhanced NDCs 3.0, equitable access to climate finance, and systemic inclusion of local priorities in global policy. As this document travels from Delhi to Belém, it carries the unified call of cities — not just to be heard at COP, but to be recognised as partners shaping the decisions, resources, and resilience frameworks that define our shared climate future. The Declaration outlines shared commitments to guide local and subnational governments across the Global South:
• Advance local climate action through enhanced, measurable, and resourced multilevel NDCs;
• Drive inclusive urban resilience integrating adaptation, circularity, and nature-based
solutions among others;
• Promote just and participatory green transitions toward net-zero pathways;
• Empower citizens, women, youth, and communities in climate governance;
• Strengthen multilevel governance and transparent data systems;
• Mobilise climate finance and expand direct access for cities; and,
• Champion Global South urban leadership through South–South and triangular
cooperation.
