Leading Locally, Acting Globally: Why COP30 Matters for New York City and the Future of Climate Diplomacy
By Aissata M.B. Camara, Commissioner for International Affairs, City of New York & Victoria Cerullo, Director of Urban Engagement, The New York Climate Exchange
As the world gathers in Belém, Brazil, for the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP30, we are reminded that the race to address the climate crisis is both a global and local endeavor. Nearly a decade after the Paris Agreement, countries continue to play an essential role in setting frameworks and mobilizing resources. Yet cities have become indispensable partners in transforming those commitments into action.
Few places embody that spirit more fully than New York City.
Home to the United Nations and the largest diplomatic community in the world, New York City is where local innovation meets global cooperation. We view every international agreement as a starting point for local innovation, translating commitments made on the world stage into measurable results across our communities. Through coalitions such as C40 Cities, America Is All In, ICLEI, Climate Mayors, and the Global Covenant of Mayors, we are advancing shared goals that prove local and national efforts can move forward together. These partnerships demonstrate that cities provide continuity and tangible proof that progress is possible.
As public servants who have led this work, alongside incredible colleagues, on behalf of the City of New York for many years, we have seen how subnational diplomacy, the practice of local governments engaging with global counterparts to advance shared values, has become one of the most effective pathways for climate progress. Cities, states, and regions are not simply implementing policies designed elsewhere; they are shaping global norms, piloting solutions, and inspiring collaboration that transcends borders. This rise of subnational diplomacy reflects a simple but powerful truth: addressing global challenges requires all levels of government.
In New York City, this truth is visible in projects that make our communities more resilient and sustainable. We are reducing emissions from buildings, investing through climate budgeting, and constructing infrastructure such as the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project that protects tens of thousands of residents. As our summers grow hotter and wetter, we are expanding tree canopies in heat-vulnerable neighborhoods and developing Bluebelts, that absorb stormwater and mitigate flooding. Through our Green Economy Action Plan, we are creating sustainable jobs and ensuring that the transition to clean energy benefits every community. We are also centering environmental justice in all of our policies through the lens of the city's first-ever comprehensive report, EJNYC, mapping tool and planning effort addressing historic inequities.
New York City also has a longstanding practice of welcoming large numbers of delegations through the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs and City agencies, exchanging best practices and visiting community driven initiatives such as Billion Oyster Project. We are also investing in the future through The New York Climate Exchange, a new climate campus on Governors Island powered by Stony Brook University. These efforts translate diplomacy into concrete outcomes, strengthening partnerships, and delivering results for people and the planet.
The New York Climate Exchange will accelerate research, innovation, and workforce training while connecting academic institutions, the private sector, and community organizations. It is designed to help adapt solutions to local context, turning lessons learned in New York into blueprints for resilience.
With COP30 underway, our attention is not only on the negotiations in Brazil but also on what comes after: implementation, inclusion, and investment. Cities like New York are showing how global ambition becomes local reality. Through subnational diplomacy, we are connecting communities, bridging public and private sectors, and proving that local leadership strengthens international progress.
New York City was present when the Paris Agreement was born; the next decade must be defined by delivery, where the lessons of cities inform global policy and where collaboration replaces fragmentation.
Our collective future depends on it.