Delivered by Minna Arve, Mayor, City of Turku, Finland; ICLEI First Vice President.
Excellencies, colleagues, and fellow climate leaders,
It’s my honor to speak to you today on behalf of the City of Turku, ICLEI, and the LGMA Constituency. We are here as protectors of our shared future—united by urgency and action. But we all must do better.
To the national leaders in this room, my message is clear: Cities are ready and willing to help. We are innovative, determined, and already driving the change on the ground. We will never give up; you can rely on that. But, together, we can all do so much better.
Since the Paris Agreement, cities and regions have set ambitious climate targets and taken bold steps. Turku, my home city in Finland, is a proud example. We are going to be climate-neutral by 2029, showing that a sustainable future is within reach.
At COP28 in Dubai, Parties called for multilevel action, and the CHAMP initiative presented a practical model for its implementation.
Hundreds of towns, cities, and regions under the LGMA Constituency have proposed three key asks to COP29:
1. Accelerate multilevel action,
2. Finance urbanization fairly, and
3. Integrate climate action into all sustainability agendas.
This means phasing out fossil fuels quickly and keeping promises.
We need climate finance that focuses on grants—not loans—ensuring a fair transition for all levels of government.
Additionally, we must build synergies between mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity to create a healthier planet.
The LGMA endorses the COP29 MAP Initiative and Truce Appeal.
However, Baku must also leave a concrete legacy. We call for COP29 negotiated outcomes to kick-start a process in Baku that seizes the opportunities of sustainable urbanization for climate action. This work should culminate in agreements at COP30 in Belém.
As we look ahead, let us remember:
Hope gives us the strength to act,
Ambition drives real progress, but only
Action turns hope into reality.
And hope cannot thrive without action.
Today, on World’s Children’s Day, let us remember: We owe our children a future filled with hope and action.
