Daring Cities 2026

Daring Cities 2026 marks the seventh edition of the forum, co-convened by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the Federal City of Bonn, Germany. Following UNFCCC COP30 and the adoption of updated national climate plans, this edition focuses on the critical phase of implementation.

As cities and regions continue to drive climate action on the ground, Daring Cities 2026 provides a politically grounded platform to connect local leadership with national and global climate processes. Bringing together local and regional leaders, national governments, and key partners, the forum will address persistent gaps in multilevel governance, finance, and coordination.

Through a series of high-level exchanges, Daring Cities 2026 will support cities in translating climate commitments into concrete action, while strengthening their role in shaping and delivering the Paris Agreement.

Explore what Daring Cities 2026 is bringing to the table:

Bonn Dialogues

The Daring Cities 2026 Bonn Dialogues will be held on 10–12 June in Bonn, Germany, alongside the June Climate Meetings(SB64).

Bringing together city leaders and key partners, the Bonn Dialogues create a space for focused dialogue on strengthening the role of cities in multilevel climate governance. They provide a space to connect global policy discussions with concrete implementation pathways in the lead-up to COP31.

10 June program

11:00 – 12:30 Daring Cities 2026 Opening plenary

The opening plenary will serve as a point of critical reflection and discussion on the role of cities amid geopolitical shifts and to reflect on past strategies applied for best positioning subnational actors to engage in multilevel governance.

–> The program continues on the next slide 

10 June program

13:30 – 15:30 Parallel sessions

  • Beyond easy wins: Funding complex urban projects
  • Leveraging Town Hall COPs as a mechanism
    for multilevel climate action

16:00 – 18:00 Parallel sessions

  • Local action for national ambitions: Aligning city climate action plan with
    NDCs
  • Cities for Flourishing Lives: Accelerating
    innovation beyond net zero

18:30 – 21:00 Reception hosted by Mayor of Bonn

11 June program

09:00 – 10:30 LGMA Position Consultation

Time tba CHAMP outreach
(organized by the Co-Chairs Brazil and Germany)

 

–> The program continues on the next slide 

 

11 June program

11:00 – 12:30 From assessment to political uptake: How SR- Cities can strengthen multilevel climate governance

13:00 – 14:30 From IPCC evidence to urban delivery: What boundary organizations must build before SR-Cities lands

12 June program

10:30 – 11:45 Implementing NDCs in cities: Showcasing local leadership for equitable and multilevel climate action
(UNFCCC SB 64 side event)

As NDCs 3.0 increasingly include cities, implementation depends on multilevel finance and coordination. This event examines how national and local actors can mobilize investment and deliver urban climate action at scale.

Sustainability at Daring Cities Bonn Dialogues 2026

Venue

Our venue is provided by GIZ and offers a first-rate sustainable venue in which we host the majority of our Daring Cities sessions. This building is DGNB-Platinum certified and therefore boasts the highest levels of resource protection, energy and economic efficiency. The energy powering the building (and therefore, all Daring Cities events) is 100% sustainably sourced and rainwater is collected for non-potable water usage. 

Catering

The catering provided by the GIZ is fully vegetarian and also includes vegan options. All food is organic, sourced locally, if available, and takes seasonality into account. The coffee and tea options provided are triply certified: Organic, Fairtrade, and Rainforest Alliance. 

For our Daring Cities reception, hosted by the City of Bonn, the catering will have a focus on regional sourced options with a preference for small, local businesses and sustainable options. All food options will be vegetarian with the majority of offerings being vegan.

Public Transit

Public transit in Bonn is frequent and reliable, we encourage all participants to make use of sustainable transport methods including walking, biking and public transit.

Materials and waste

Paper use and printing is kept to an absolute minimum for our events favouring digital options. 

Food waste is kept to a minimum for all events through careful planning between the Daring Cities team and catering teams and by encouraging guests to take food home at the end of the event.