On June 11th, Campinas/SP hosted the Southeast Regional Forum of CB27, held during the 2nd ICLEI Southeast Meeting, bringing together Secretaries of the Environment from the region's capitals, representatives from the Campinas City Hall, and partner institutions. With the approach of COP30, which will take place in Belém/PA in November 2025, the meeting was an important space for articulation to strengthen the role of Brazilian capitals in international climate negotiations and advance the integration between the climate and biodiversity agendas.

The engagement luncheon brought together leaders such as Rodrigo Kenji de Souza Ashiuchi, Municipal Secretary of Green Areas and the Environment of São Paulo; Lívia Galdino da Cruz Suzart, from the Sub-Secretariat of Environment and Climate Change of the Rio de Janeiro City Hall; João Paulo Barreto, Municipal Secretary of the Environment of Belo Horizonte; and Braz Adegas Júnior, Secretary of Climate, Environment and Sustainability of Campinas. In addition, representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA) were present, including Mauricio Guerra and Inamara Santos Mélo; the Executive Secretary of ICLEI South America, Rodrigo Perpétuo; and Hélinah Cardoso, from the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM), among other national and international partners. 

On the agenda, the secretaries highlighted the need for strategic communication with society to broaden social engagement around local climate actions and for a more assertive municipalist role at COP30, demonstrating that cities are protagonists in the ecological transition. They also reinforced the importance of integrating the climate agenda with the conservation of urban biodiversity, fundamental to increasing the resilience of cities in the face of the impacts of climate change. Berenice Domingues, deputy national coordinator of CB27 and director of the Municipal Agency for the Environment and Planning of Campo Grande, highlighted the importance of the exchange spaces promoted by CB27 activities and reinforced the need for integrated action between the municipal, state, and federal levels to drive progress in sustainability policies in Brazilian cities.

The international experience of cities like Medellín, invited to the meeting, inspired local leaders to advance in green infrastructure, ecological connectivity areas, and nature-based solutions, as already implemented in Campinas through the INTERACT-Bio project. CB27 continues to support Brazilian capitals so that they arrive at COP30 prepared to contribute with local solutions of global impact.

With an agenda focused on strengthening the representation of Brazilian capitals in global climate governance, CB27 reaffirms its role as one of the main forums for urban environmental advocacy in the country. The meeting in the Southeast region marked an important moment that will also take place in other Brazilian regions throughout the semester to ensure that cities are prepared to influence the debates at COP30 and to consolidate a more integrated and effective environmental governance in Brazil.

Regarding CB27

Created in 2012, the Forum of Secretaries of the Environment of Brazilian Capital Cities (CB27) is an initiative that aims to strengthen decentralization and cooperation among capital cities to advance urban environmental and climate policies. With support from ICLEI South America and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) in Brazil, CB27 promotes meetings, exchanges, and collaborations to increase the influence of cities on the national and international sustainability agenda.