Local Governments raise their voice towards climate change negotiations

Representatives of local and regional governments from around the world converged in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 1 – 4 June 2009 for the meeting of the Executive Bureau of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). The 150 distinguished representatives of local and regional governments present at the meeting agreed on a united call of cities and regions to the Parties which will negotiate, in Copenhagen, in December, a new global agreement on climate. They presented precise and concrete amendments to the text currently under negotiation within the framework of the COP 15 of the United Nations.

Under the Presidency of Bertrand Delanoë, Mayor of Paris and President of UCLG, and Kadir Topbas, Mayor of Istanbul and Co-President of UCLG, and in the presence of their active partners in this area: David Cadman, President of ICLEI, and Bärbel Dieckmann, Mayor of Bonn and President of the World Council of Mayors on Climate Change, the members of the Executive Bureau of UCLG agreed on a strategy to adopt to lobby their governments, towards the COP 15, to ensure that the text under negotiation:

• will recognize the role of cities and local authorities- the level of government which is most in touch with citizens- in the implementation of national climate change strategies ;
• will allow local and regional authorities to widen their capabilities and knowledge, particularly through exchanging experiences ;
• will finally put in place financial mechanisms adapted to the needs of cities that will allow them to fulfill their commitments.

 Parallel to the UCLG Executive Bureau meeting, the Local Government Climate Change Leadership Summit was held from 2 – 4 June 2009. The Summit, hosted by the Association of Danish Municipalities (LGDK), was attended by over 700 participants.

In his remarks at the opening ceremony of the Summit, Bertrand Delanoë reminded all present of the urgent need to act on climate change: ‘The state of the planet leaves us without time. Now is the moment to decide and act. The time for delays is over.’

The Prime Minister of Denmark, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, called for an ambitious global agreement and for the mobilization of elected leaders and local officials across the world: ‘I call upon you to use all your power to change our course and to lead by example.’

Participants appealed strongly to national governments for ambitious climate agreements. They reaffirmed their readiness to support and assist national governments to obtain these agreements, but they also reaffirmed the necessity of involving local governments to ensure that these agreements are far-reaching.

The United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA) was represented at the Summit by its President, Councilor Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, who is also a member of the UCLG Executive Bureau.

 To access the Local and Regional Governments Call to the Parties in Copenhagen  Click here

For more information, kindly write to: info@cities-localgovernments.org 

African Local Government Climate Roadmap Pre-Copenhagen Summit

Pursuant to the objective of mobilizing local government towards a strong post 2012 climate agreement, ICLEI Africa in partnership with the South African Cities Network and UCLGA, will host the African Local Government Climate Roadmap Pre-Copenhagen Summit in Tshwane, South Africa, from 29 – 31 July 2009.    The aim of the Summit is to mobilize African local governments, to build consensus and capacity, to understand the process and to join the process efforts towards a strong and global post 2012 climate agreement.

For more information, kindly contact Ms. Lizanda du Preez, at: lizanda.du.preez@iclei.org

For any enquiry regarding the UCLGA Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Project, kindly write to: info@uclgafrica.org

 Additional information made available by the UCLG World Secretariat