To address the impacts of the climate crisis, the municipality of João Pessoa began developing its Climate Action Plan in 2021. Aimed at producing a climate diagnosis and presenting territorially-specific guidelines towards sustainable and resilient development, the document comprises an Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Water Footprint and Climate Risk and Vulnerability Analysis, a Climate Action Plan, and a Draft Law, implementing a robust set of studies and guidelines towards the decarbonization and resilience of the city.

Launched in June 2023, João Pessoa's Climate Action Plan presents actions and goals aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making the municipality more resilient, carbon neutral, fair, and inclusive. With a total of 37 strategic actions, the guidelines are divided into 8 thematic areas: Sustainable Mobility and Transportation; Urban Quality and Housing; Green Areas and Coastal Protection; Climate Risk Management, Environmental Sanitation and Health; Waste Management; Inclusion and Reduction of Social Vulnerability; and Low-Carbon Energy.

Through a participatory methodology, all stages included contributions from various stakeholders. The action plan development phase, for example, involved 579 contributions from managers, academia, the third sector, civil society, and others. In addition, more than 60 meetings, both public and internal, were held to consolidate the plan.

Plan Objectives:

• Develop a path to emissions neutrality for the city and establish ambitious targets aligned with the Paris Agreement;
• To demonstrate how the city will adapt and improve its resilience;
• Describe the expected social, environmental, and economic benefits of implementing the plan;
• To detail the governance of the Plan and its interactions with public bodies in the city to accelerate the achievement of results.

João Pessoa, in order to enhance the Plan's performance, also presented its governance structure established by Decree No. 9,964, of February 8, 2022, which created the Municipal Committee on Climate Change (COMCLIM), responsible for monitoring the PAC's actions.

The development of João Pessoa's Climate Action Plan was supported by WayCarbon and ICLEI South America, is part of João Pessoa's Integrated and Sustainable Urban Development Program, and was financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).