Climate change is one of the major challenges of our time, and cities are key players in finding a solution.

More than half of humanity, currently estimated at 7 billion people, lives in cities. This concentration, along with population growth, is expected to increase in the coming decades. Brazil follows this trend: it is one of the most urbanized countries in Latin America, with 86,531% of its population living in urban areas, according to the "GPS Guide – Sustainable Public Management," from the Sustainable Cities Program.

This increasingly urban landscape helps explain why 371 tp/3t to 491 tp/3t of global greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming and climate change, come from activities in cities, such as transportation, energy consumption, and the generation and disposal of solid waste, according to a study by the University of Cambridge and ICLEI – Climate change: implications for cities. It also helps to understand why urban areas will be the most negatively impacted by these climate changes, precisely because they concentrate many activities and people.

In this scenario, municipal administration plays a crucial role in organizing and encouraging actions so that the city can find answers to this climate challenge, reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and preparing for the impacts of climate change. After all, it is the administration that is closest to citizens, businesses, and local services. The positive aspect is that many of these solutions end up bringing other beneficial consequences, such as a more prosperous, sustainable, competitive, and inclusive city.

Therefore, this Local Climate Action Guide aims to stimulate and assist concrete action by municipal public authorities in this climate endeavor. It is a practical roadmap to help managers in developing and/or revising their strategy to address climate change.

Throughout the chapters, essential scientific concepts about climate change and its direct impacts on cities are presented; a step-by-step roadmap for managers to develop a municipal strategy; tips for putting it into practice; successful national case studies that can be followed; and a list of useful publications, legislation, and websites on the subject.