The first World Summit of Regions for Climate brought together over 1,000 representatives of cities, regions, provinces, states, universities and businesses to address climate change, and resulted in a joint declaration calling for commitment to concrete actions on the road to the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UNFCCC, when a new climate deal is expected to be agreed.
13 October 2014: The first World Summit of Regions for Climate brought together over 1,000 representatives of cities, regions, provinces, states, universities and businesses to address climate change, and resulted in a joint declaration calling for commitment to concrete actions on the road to the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UNFCCC, when a new climate deal is expected to be agreed.
The Summit, which convened in Paris, France, from 10-11 October 2014, included: plenary sessions; designated areas to review the commitments of key stakeholders; presentations on major projects and initiatives; networking opportunities; and a declaration of commitment. It aimed to engage a broad range of actors in a ‘bottom-up’ approach, and provided an opportunity to announce the creation and funding of projects that lead to emission reductions.
Heads of multinational corporations, investment funds for green projects, and diplomats and political figures agreed and demonstrated that local systems are a driving force in the project development and in the transition to a green and sustainable economy. In a video address to the Summit, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres commended the pursuit of low carbon opportunities by non-state actors, who, she said, energize the intergovernmental process. She urged putting in place local policies that exert upward pressure in order to strengthen the impending new climate agreement to be agreed in Paris in 2015.
The Summit closed with the signing of the Paris Declaration, which was presented to Laurent Fabius, French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development. France will host COP 21 in Paris in 2015.
The Paris Declaration elaborated, for the first time, commitments expressed jointly by sub-national governments and the private sector, focusing entirely on concrete actions to tackle climate change. The Paris Declaration calls on UNFCCC parties to reach an ambitious international climate agreement in Paris, and will travel the globe as part of the ‘Road to Paris 2015′ process to collect signatures from local actors, up until COP 21.
The Summit was organized by R20 Regions of Climate Action, which was founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Governor of California. [R20 Press Release] [Summit Website] [R20 Website][Video Address of UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres]