Delhi Declaration 2026 Adopted at ARISE Cities Forum

Cities of the Global South sent a joint message to the next climate summit on 28 October 2026, when the ARISE Cities Forum 2026 in New Delhi adopted the Delhi Declaration on Local Action for Global Climate Goals. The second edition of the forum ran on 27 and 28 October 2026 at the India Habitat Centre and was put together by ICLEI South Asia with the National Institute of Urban Affairs, backed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Who came

More than 200 delegates attended, representing over 50 cities in more than 18 countries. The two days were built around three technical plenaries and 14 technical sessions. The theme, From Bharat to Antalya - Commit. Implement. Deliver., set out the journey the declaration is meant to make: from the Indian capital to COP31, which Turkiye will host at Antalya.

What the declaration asks for

Building on the previous year's declaration of 2025, the text treats cities as contributors to international climate talks in their own right rather than as bystanders, and carries the experience of the Global South into the UNFCCC process. It lists ten shared commitments, among them carrying the climate agenda from pre-COP31 to COP31, speeding up adaptation, advancing circularity, securing an energy transition outcome that returns the world to the 1.5 degree Celsius pathway, pressing for just transitions, placing multilevel climate finance on a permanent footing, defending independent science and data, creating a standing space for multilevel action, championing urban leadership from the Global South and strengthening the voice of youth and communities. With the climate, biodiversity and land conventions all meeting this year, a stretch being called the Triple COP, the text asks for the three agendas to move together.

At the closing

Turkiye's Ambassador to India, Ali Murat Ersoy, Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi, UNESCAP's Mikiko Tanaka, NIUA Director Dr Debolina Kundu and ICLEI Secretary General Gino Van Begin spoke at the close, and COP31 Climate Champion Samed Agirbas joined online. The declaration was formally handed to Van Begin to carry forward, and the ceremony also saw the launch of the Delhi Biodiversity Map prepared by ICLEI South Asia.