One year after COP30, in Belém, cities across Brazil have already begun turning climate commitments into action
Across Brazil, mayors are turning climate targets into tangible projects, transforming public transport, waste management, public spending, and preparedness for the impacts of climate change in a year marked by a super El Niño.
Seven Brazilian cities are working to implement climate budgeting, a governance system that integrates climate commitments into policy decisions, actions, and public budgets. The approach assigns responsibilities across city departments to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen community resilience.
Meanwhile, 21 subnational governments are developing 17 waste management projects aimed at reducing methane emissions from organic waste decomposing in landfills. Once implemented, these initiatives are expected to process more than 30,000 metric tons of organic waste annually.
To advance sustainable transport, 12 subnational governments are also working to deploy electric buses and develop active mobility projects. More than US$230 million has already been mobilized with support from state and federal governments to procure over 200 electric buses.
This collective effort reflects the Brazilian spirit of mutirão—bringing together different levels of government, communities, financial institutions, and international partners to achieve goals that would be difficult for any one group to accomplish alone.
Launched one year ago during the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the Brazil Mutirão Program is a partnership between C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies. It aims to accelerate climate solutions in Brazilian cities and states.
The program supports one of COP30’s key legacies: ensuring that commitments made during the conference translate into public policies and concrete action on the ground. To advance this goal, it has engaged more than 100 Brazilian cities and state governments to improve access to data and climate finance at the subnational level. It has also provided direct assistance to more than 50 cities and states in developing high-impact projects covering transport, waste management, climate budgeting, and climate action planning.
Ana Toni, COP30 CEO, said:
“Climate policy is not just about targets. It is about ensuring clean air, quality public transport, safe and resilient infrastructure, economic opportunities and a fairer future. This is the spirit Brazil is taking to COP31. The only way to leave a liveable planet for our children and grandchildren is to act together, now, through a global, national and local mutirão – a collective effort.”
One of the program’s major achievements is the transformation of public transport in Brazilian cities, helping improve air quality, reduce street noise, and make daily journeys more comfortable.
More than 200 electric buses have had their procurement formalized, including 100 buses for the Recife Metropolitan Region in Pernambuco, 96 for the city of Belo Horizonte, and 27 for Montes Claros. These procurements are part of nearly 600 electric buses covered by projects currently being developed with technical support from the Brazil Mutirão Program.
This represents approximately one-third of the 1,700 electric buses operating in Brazil in November 2025, when the program was launched.
Ilan Cuperstein, C40 Cities’ Regional Director for Latin America, said:
“The transition to zero-emission fleets is becoming an increasingly established part of public policy in Brazilian cities. Electrifying fleets brings direct benefits for the climate, public health, transport quality and the local economy. The clear message for other cities is that financing is no longer a barrier: proven pathways exist, and a network is ready to support municipalities”.
In waste management, one of Brazil’s major climate challenges is methane emissions resulting from the improper disposal of food scraps, garden trimmings, and other organic materials. These account for approximately half of the country’s municipal solid waste.
When organic waste is sent to landfills, it decomposes and releases methane, a greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere around 80 times more than carbon dioxide (CO₂) over a 20-year period.
Cities such as Curitiba, Guaxupé, and Maracaju are developing projects to address this challenge. In Benevides, Pará, an initiative combines waste management with environmental education across 41 municipal schools, with the potential to reach more than 10,000 students.
Across the selected projects, approximately 30,000 metric tons of organic waste are expected to be treated each year.
Eduardo Pimentel, Mayor of Curitiba and C40 Cities’ vice-chair for Latin America, said:
“Managing organic waste means transforming our relationship with the environment. By scaling up composting, we reduce methane emissions, cut the volume of waste sent to landfill, and produce fertiliser for urban agriculture and green spaces. This initiative builds on Curitiba’s heritage as a pioneer of waste separation in Brazil and a benchmark for environmental action.”
The program is also helping cities establish governance systems that integrate climate commitments into planning and budget decisions. Through climate budgeting, local governments can better understand how public funds are currently allocated, identify financing gaps, and prioritize resources for climate mitigation, adaptation, and equity initiatives.
In Salvador, the Municipal Climate Governance Policy was established in September 2026, integrating climate action into public policies, urban planning, and the municipal budget. It also strengthens governance arrangements for implementing the city’s Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Plan, which has a planning horizon through 2049 and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by that year.
In Campinas, the city government announced this year that, beginning in 2028, it will formally identify in its budget expenditures that contribute to or undermine climate targets.
Meanwhile, Curitiba signed its climate budgeting decree in October 2026. The measure integrates climate mitigation and adaptation goals into the municipal budget cycle and establishes a committee led by the Finance Secretariat to oversee implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The initiative is designed to better prepare the city for climate impacts and protect its most vulnerable communities.
Ana Paula Matos, Deputy Mayor of Salvador, said:
“There is no concrete public policy without a guaranteed budget. By establishing our Municipal Climate Governance Policy, Salvador moves to track and prioritise resources in a smart, integrated way to protect those who need it most and the city’s most vulnerable areas.”
The program is also supporting 11 cities across the Amazon region as they strengthen their climate planning efforts. Six are developing Local Climate Action Plans (PLACs), two are advancing sustainable mobility projects, and three are working on waste management initiatives.
Climate planning enables municipalities to assess their risks, identify vulnerable populations and areas, and determine which actions should be prioritized. To support this process, participating cities are using the City Climate Compass, an artificial intelligence tool that brings together data on emissions, climate risks, and vulnerabilities to help local officials compare and prioritize actions.
One of the participating cities is Belém, in Pará, which hosted the conference last year. The city is now working to improve sustainable urban mobility through the revitalization of its historic center under the Belo Centro project.
Igor Normando, Mayor of Belém, said:
“People living in the Amazon need to have a voice in decision-making and see the results in their own communities. For Belém, tackling climate change means supporting those affected by flooding, expanding green spaces and improving conditions for people who travel across the city every day. This is the perspective guiding our efforts to advance climate planning and projects such as Belo Centro. Our commitment is to turn this agenda into tangible improvements, particularly for those who need them most.”
Coordination across different levels of government is essential to sustaining this climate legacy. Climate commitments become stronger when federal, state, and municipal governments align financing, planning, and implementation according to their respective responsibilities.
In Pernambuco, the electrification of public transport in the Recife Metropolitan Region brings together federal funding, coordination by the state government, the operational expertise of the metropolitan consortium, and the participation of municipalities.
With technical support from the Brazil Mutirão Program, teams aligned bus procurement with routes, vehicle range, and charging infrastructure. This coordination has helped advance the procurement of 100 electric buses and plans for their gradual deployment.
In Espírito Santo, a sustainable urban mobility project developed in the city of Serra is set to be expanded by the state government to other municipalities. Alongside reducing emissions, the initiative will incorporate climate adaptation measures through tree planting, demonstrating how solutions can be adapted to local needs.
In Rio Grande do Sul, reconstruction efforts following climate-related disasters underscore the importance of coordination with municipalities and the transfer of federal funding to address impacts and strengthen resilience. These priorities are also reflected in projects supported by the program in Caxias do Sul, Porto Alegre, and the state’s food distribution center, CEASA-RS, helping sustain climate action throughout the state.
Hélinah Cardoso, Head of Engagement for the Brazil Mutirão Program, said:
“Climate challenges do not respect administrative borders. When we connect local governments’ implementation capacity with policies, programs, and funding from the state and federal governments, we leverage structural projects that previously seemed impossible. This multilevel governance is the true engine in combating climate change and protecting people’s lives.”
These developments demonstrate how COP30’s climate legacy is moving forward through concrete decisions and projects in Brazilian cities. By strengthening coordination among all levels of government and technical partners, the Brazil Mutirão Program is helping accelerate climate initiatives and build the capacity of local governments to turn ambitious climate targets into meaningful action.
About the Brazil Mutirão Program
The Brazil Mutirão Program is a strategic partnership between C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. It aims to accelerate climate action across Brazilian cities through collaboration among local governments, the national government, and international partners.
Launched in the context of Brazil’s global climate leadership and its COP30 Presidency, the program works to strengthen the conditions cities need to develop and advance high-impact climate projects.
To date, it has engaged more than 100 cities and state governments across Brazil through initiatives focused on data, climate finance, and climate diplomacy. More than 50 cities and states have also received direct support for projects involving sustainable urban mobility, waste management, climate budgeting, and Amazonian climate action planning.
The program demonstrates how collaboration between national and local governments can accelerate climate action where it matters most—in cities. The National Front of Mayors (FNP) serves as a facilitating partner, while the program also works with a broad coalition of technical partners.
