While the annual UN Climate Change Conferences (COPs) capture global attention, the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB) meetings in Bonn each June are where much of the technical and political groundwork get done. These negotiations attract fewer headlines, but they shape the decisions, priorities and implementation pathways that will define the next COP.
For subnational governments, these meetings are just as important. It’s a chance to engage directly with negotiators, international organizations, and key partners, and to ensure their voice is reflected in the outcome. The government of Quebec is proud to have participated actively and consistently in these discussions, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to international environmental cooperation.
SB64 reinforced a growing trend already visible at COP30 in Belém: the international climate agenda is entering a new phase. After years focused on raising ambition, the priority is now delivery. This shift also reinforces the importance of the COP Action Agenda, which brings subnational governments, businesses, financial institutions and civil society together around concrete initiatives – creating momentum and translating negotiated outcomes into implementation, much of it delivered subnationally.
But one important gap remains. While subnational governments are increasingly acknowledged as climate leaders, they are still too often viewed as stakeholders rather than strategic implementation partners. As the conversation shifts from ambition to delivery, that needs to change. Effective climate implementation requires the full engagement of all levels of government, particularly those responsible for delivering many of the policies that directly influence emissions, resilience and economic transformation.
Three discussions in particular illustrated this shift:
Electrification, one of the flagship priorities of the COP31 Presidency, saw the announcement of a global target to increase electricity's share of final energy consumption from approximately 20% to 35% by 2035. At the LGMA press conference on Energy Security, Quebec showed what this looks like in practice: a clean electricity system, powered primarily by hydropower, enabling electrification of transport, buildings and industry while strengthening energy security. Through the Under2 Coalition's Big Switch, Quebec is helping demonstrate how subnational governments can accelerate this transition and share solutions that replicate elsewhere.
The second discussion focused on the energy transition, another defining priority throughout the Bonn meetings. Here again, much of the focus shifted from broad political commitments to identifying credible pathways for implementation ahead of COP31. The COP30 Presidency's Roadmap for Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels (TAFF) reflects this evolution by encouraging governments and non-state actors to move from commitments toward practical action. As co-chair of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), Québec contributed to this process by submitting its recommendations to the TAFF process and participating in strategic discussions on how governments can advance a just, orderly and managed transition.
Climate finance formed the third pillar of this discussion. Stable and predictable climate finance remains another essential pillar of implementation. In that regard, effective carbon markets create incentives for emissions reductions while generating revenues that governments can reinvest in climate action. Québec's cap-and-trade system, linked with California, demonstrates how carbon pricing can simultaneously drive environmental ambition and economic competitiveness. The recent agreement to link Washington State with the Québec–California carbon market marks a significant milestone for subnational climate cooperation and demonstrates how linked carbon markets can accelerate the low-carbon transition.
So, what does this means for COP31?
The clearest takeaway from Bonn that must be central to negotiations at COP31 is that the international climate conversation is changing. For years, success was measured by the ambition of new commitments. Today, it is increasingly measured by our ability to implement them. Across the world, subnational governments are already delivering concrete solutions: from clean electricity and carbon markets to resilient infrastructure and just energy transition policies. The challenge is no longer proving that these approaches work; it is scaling them faster and connecting them more effectively.
As preparations for COP31 continue, the next step is clear: implementation must become a shared responsibility across all levels of government. Subnational governments should not simply be invited to showcase their achievements on the sidelines but should be recognized as strategic partners in designing and delivering climate action. Québec is ready to continue contributing to its experience, building partnerships and supporting practical solutions. If COP31 is to accelerate implementation, the international community must embrace a simple principle:
Work with us, not around us.