The Global Cooling Pledge, launched at COP28 and now endorsed by 72 countries and 80 non-state actors, including nearly 30 subnational governments, marks a pivotal step in addressing one of the most urgent challenges of our time – adapting to extreme heat sustainably. But to deliver to its full potential—expanding heat resilience while also mitigating emissions—strong coordination is needed across all levels of government. Recognizing this need and the crucial role of cities as partners in implementation, the COP30 Brazilian Presidency designed a national-to-local collaboration, vital to closing
Through “Beat the Heat in Cities,” the COP30 Presidency calls on countries to engage their urban centers in a collaborative drive to identify urban hotspots, develop context-specific cooling solutions, and integrate them into broader urban plans. Each country will be invited by the COP30 Presidency to nominate at least one of their cities. The city will work closely with its national government (and their Global Cooling Pledge, the National Ozone Units, and CHAMP focal points) to ensure implementation, policy alignment and long-term impact.
City actions will include implementing nature-based and passive cooling strategies such as green corridors and cool roofs, as well as leading the procurement of efficient, climate-friendly cooling technologies. These interventions will primarily target vulnerable populations and be evaluated and supported based on their potential for climate impact, social and environmental co-benefits, and scalability.
UNEP and the COP30 Presidency, together with a wide coalition of global partners, will then provide training, strategic guidance and technical assistance to participating cities to ensure meaningful and measurable impact. The support emphasizes alignment with national climate goals, technical capacity building and knowledge sharing, financial opportunities and strategies, project preparation and policy integration.
By strengthening collaboration between national and subnational actors, the initiative creates a feedback loop where successful local cooling strategies can inform and strengthen national climate adaptation and mitigation policies. This multilevel governance model creates a framework where cooling solutions may contribute not only to member state climate targets, but also to broader equity, development, and environmental goals.
By joining Beat the Heat in Cities, participating cities will contribute to one or more of the subnational cooling commitments under the Global Cooling Pledge and join the growing cohort of city signatories. Participating cities will gain access to curated knowledge resources (training materials, workshops, handbooks, etc.) and, as needed, will have an opportunity to submit requests for technical assistance.
Cities and National Governments are invited to complete and submit an expression of interest to propose one or more cities (up to three).
To invite/propose a city (ies), please complete the form here.
Each city is expected to implement three core interventions:
1. Heat Action Planning & Urban Cooling Strategies by 2026
- Urban Heat Island (UHI) mapping and risk assessments
- Development or integration of Heat Action Plans into urban strategies targeting vulnerable population
2. Nature-based and Passive Cooling Interventions: Green and blue spaces for cooling by 2030
- Deployment of green corridors, blue infrastructure, urban shade
- Urban design upgrades (e.g. cool roofs, reflective surfaces, air movement)
- Biodiversity and land restoration co-benefits
3. Sustainable Cooling Procurement in Public Infrastructure: Low-GWP, efficient cooling in government buildings
- Public procurement of high-efficiency, low-GWP cooling technologies
- Lifecycle cost-based decision making
- Model building codes and retrofit standards
Following submission, the UNEP Cool Coalition Secretariat will share further guidance, including the next steps and details for formal engagement.
A. Cooling Effectiveness
- How much does the project reduce urban heat (e.g. surface or ambient temperature)?
- Is the impact localized or citywide?
B. Integrated Co-Benefits
- Does the project combine adaptation and mitigation benefits?
- Does it support biodiversity, air quality, or water management?
- Does it benefit vulnerable populations (e.g. elderly, low-income communities) or create jobs?
C. Innovation & Scalability
- Is the approach creative or new in its context?
- Can it be replicated or scaled across other areas?
D. Feasibility & Sustainability
- Is the project technically and financially viable?
- Are there long-term plans for maintenance and funding?
E. Monitoring & Impact Measurement
- Are there clear indicators and methods to measure temperature reduction and co-benefits?
- How well is the data collected and reported?
For questions, contact the UNEP Cool Coalition Secretariat at: [email protected] with cc: to [email protected]