“Time for Change”: 16 Latin American cities show how climate action transforms everyday life
From October 24 to 31, the GCoM Mayors Forum campaign in Latin America will share stories of local transformation driven by climate and environmental projects already in place
What changes in a community’s life when a city decides to take action on climate change? This question guides “Time for Change,” a regional campaign by the Mayors Forum of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) in Latin America. From October 24 to 31, 2026, the initiative brings together 16 cities from eight countries to show how local decisions translate into tangible changes in communities and residents’ lives.
Under the motto “Local decisions. Transformative impacts,” the campaign highlights people and the changes already taking place through the implementation of climate action projects. Through community testimonies and stories, the content traces the journey from a local challenge to the municipal response and the results of that action.
The campaign runs between the International Day Against Climate Change and World Cities Day, connecting experiences across countries around a shared message: local climate action has effects that can be seen and described through everyday life.
According to Claudio Castro, Mayor of Renca, Chile, and President of the GCoM Mayors Forum in Latin America, climate action becomes meaningful when it improves people’s lives. “As local governments, we have a responsibility to turn commitments into decisions that respond to our communities’ needs. Through this campaign, we want to showcase these transformations and strengthen exchanges between cities, so that experiences in one place can inspire many others,” says Castro.
From local decisions to community stories
The campaign addresses themes such as water, nature, energy, adaptation, resilience and climate finance. The stories bring these issues closer to people by showing how projects can deliver everyday benefits, such as cooler urban spaces through investment in green areas.
The campaign also features initiatives that combine the protection of areas vital to water resources, the regeneration of the natural environment and community participation. These experiences show how collaboration between local governments, organizations and residents can contribute to restoring and caring for local environments.
Each city will share an experience based on four questions: What was the problem? What decision was made? What tangible changes followed? And what does this change make possible for the future? The aim is to present the projects from the perspective of those who participate in them and experience their effects.
“Behind every project are people, lessons learned and an experience worth sharing. By connecting these stories, we want to bring climate action closer to people and demonstrate the value of cooperation between local governments. The diversity of Latin American cities also offers an opportunity to learn from one another and extend the reach of solutions,” says Rebecca Borges, Coordinator of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy in Latin America.
One regional campaign, 16 stories
The participating cities are General Pico and San Justo in Argentina; Salvador and Serra Talhada in Brazil; Renca and Vitacura in Chile; Cartagena and La Estrella in Colombia; Belén and Oreamuno in Costa Rica; Ambato and Manta in Ecuador; Guadalajara and La Paz in Mexico; and Coronel Portillo and San Isidro in Peru.
Throughout the week, the cities and GCoM in Latin America will share videos and digital content using the hashtag #EsTiempoDeCambio. The stories will be available on the social media accounts of the participating municipalities and the Covenant, with extended versions on YouTube.
As an outcome of the initiative, a regional e-book will bring together the experiences, photographs, testimonies and video links, helping these stories reach wider audiences and supporting the exchange of lessons learned between local governments. The e-book will officially launch in late November.
About the Mayors Forum
The Forum brings together 16 cities from eight countries and serves as a platform for political leadership within GCoM in Latin America. Its members help strengthen the voice of local governments on the climate agenda and raise the visibility of municipal actions and commitments across the region.
