Between 2019 and 2021, Belo Horizonte and Recife participated in the LEDS Lab project, aiming to empower local stakeholders to develop fundable projects to combat the climate crisis based on experiences with pilot projects. The photovoltaic solar energy and energy efficiency projects in public buildings promoted low-carbon urban development strategies and resulted in a replicable model for other buildings and cities.

The LEDS Lab is a climate project funding laboratory, launched in 2019. Its objective is to enhance the capacity of municipalities to develop fundable projects, considering aspects of climate change mitigation and adaptation. The LEDS Lab is part of the Urban-LEDS II project, "Accelerating Climate Action through the Promotion of Low-Emission Urban Development Strategies," whose main objective is to make low-emission development strategies a fundamental part of urban policy and planning in cities.

The Urban-LEDS II project, funded by the European Commission and implemented by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability in partnership with UN-Habitat, is underway in eight countries (South Africa, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Laos, and Rwanda). In South America, it is being implemented in seven local governments in Colombia and in eight cities in Brazil.