New non-state and local leadership are necessary in the face of political challenges, such as the intended withdrawal from by Paris Agreement by the US. Moreover, a wide gap persists between governmental climate commitments and pathways that are consistent with the climate goals under the Paris Agreement. Non-state and local climate actions could help implementation and also create opportunities to raise ambitions, accelerating low-carbon and climate resilient transitions. However, important questions need to be raised. (1) While the mitigation potential of non-state and local actors is significant, little is know about their actual performance; and (2) hitherto recorded non-state and local actions are overwhelmingly found in richer countries -- not in developing countries where the impacts of climate change are gravest and where GHG emissions are growing fastest. Particular attention should therefore be spent on the rise of sub-national and non-state actors in developing countries.

This session explores new non-state leadership, especially in developing countries, in a variety of areas, from actors willing to enhance the scope of ambition on emissions mitigation to those willing to provide climate finance for mitigation and adaptation. Leadership is needed in other domains including the review mechanisms of mitigation efforts to the development of rules and processes for reporting emissions. Currently, however, important knowledge gaps about non-state and local leadership in developing countries remain. This session discusses

1. the current landscape of non-state and subnational climate action in developing and emerging countries
2. opportunities to strengthen non-state and subnational climate action in the global South
3. the role of development and economic cooperation in supporting non-state and subnational climate action in developing countries.