Brazil has advanced city-level work on extreme heat through the 3rd National Meeting of the Green and Resilient Cities Programme, held in Brasília on 7 and 8 May 2026. The meeting brought together federal ministries, municipalities, development banks, research institutions, civil society and international partners to support urban preparation for more frequent and intense heat.
The event was carried out by Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Ministry of Cities, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the COP30 Presidency and UNEP, with support from 41 organizations. It gathered 781 registered participants, including 506 in person, with representatives from 45 cities, including 28 cities under Beat the Heat.
Discussions connected Beat the Heat, the National Climate Plan and the National Cooling Action Plan with federal initiatives including the National Strategy for Nature-based Solutions, the National Urban Afforestation Plan, the Urban Environmental Registry and AdaptaCidades, which covers 581 highly climate-vulnerable municipalities.
A UNEP diagnostic survey of 53 Brazilian municipalities found that extreme heat is rising on local agendas, while cities still face gaps in data, technical capacity, planning instruments, implementation pathways and access to finance. The Beat the Heat contribution focused on four priorities identified by cities: data and technical support, local heat action planning, nature-based and passive cooling solutions, and financing opportunities.
Technical sessions introduced tools to help cities assess heat risks and exposure, including MapBiomas’ new urban heat island module. Planning discussions covered how cities can integrate heat into adaptation plans, master plans, risk assessments and sectoral policies, with examples from Rio Grande do Sul, Campinas, Salvador and Florianópolis.
Financing discussions included Caixa Econômica Federal, BNDES, AFD, CCFLA Brasil Hub and Banco do Brasil, with a focus on bankable municipal projects and access to climate finance. Outcomes included four thematic capacity-building sessions, stronger engagement with financing institutions, and presentation of tools for cities, including MapBiomas’ urban heat island module and the R$19 million [approx. USD 3.7 million] ArborizaCidades public call.
