At two recent major events bringing together representatives of local and regional governments, municipal and provincial authorities showcased the action they are taking to address climate change and urged their national governments to follow suit.
In addition, mayors of cities from the Group of Twenty (G20) countries penned an open letter to their leaders calling on them to make concrete plans to implement the Paris Agreement.
2 September 2016: At two recent major events bringing together representatives of local and regional governments, municipal and provincial authorities showcased the action they are taking to address climate change and urged their national governments to follow suit. In addition, mayors of cities from the Group of Twenty (G20) countries penned an open letter to their leaders calling on them to make concrete plans to implement the Paris Agreement.
II Climate Summit of the Americas Issues Climate Action Statement
The second Climate Summit of the Americas convened city and state representatives from 31 August – 1 September 2016, in Guadalajara, Mexico, to discuss Paris Agreement implementation in the region. At the Summit, leaders representing state and regional governments issued a ‘2016 Climate Action Statement,’ committing to new actions for deploying renewable energy, limiting deforestation and enhancing public greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories. The Statement also urges national leaders to create policy environments that encourage cooperative action on climate change.
Efforts like these from sub-national governments, including a similar statement signed at the 2015 Climate Summit of the Americas, are feeding into multilateral climate talks under the UN. Addressing the 2016 Summit, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa underlined that the policies and practices of the cities and states, which fuel a country’s growth, can show national governments that their climate commitments can be fulfilled. She added that these sub-national actions can also inform governments as they write the rules under the Paris Agreement in Marrakesh, Morocco, this November.
On the occasion of the Summit, Ontario, Québec and Mexico signed a trilateral declaration creating a framework for promoting and sharing information and expertise on carbon pricing and market mechanisms. Mexico recently announced it will pilot an emission trading system (ETS), and Ontario intends to link its carbon market with those of Québec and California under the Western Climate Initiative in 2018. [II Climate Summit of the Americas Website] [The Climate Group Press Release] [UNFCCC Press Release] [Government of Ontario Press Release] [Joint Declaration Between the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the United Mexican States, the Government of Ontario, and the Gouvernement du Québec] [IISD RS Story on 2015 Climate Summit of the Americas] [IISD RS Story on Mexico’s Pilot ETS]
Seoul Mayors Forum on Climate Change Commits Support to the Paris Agreement’s Objectives
On the other side of the globe, mayors from Asian and other cities gathered at the Seoul Mayors Forum on Climate Change on 1-2 September 2016. As reported by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the Forum considered how the Compact of Mayors and Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy relate to the Paris Agreement, as well as the New Urban Agenda to be adopted at the Habitat III conference.
The ‘Seoul Communiqué 2016 for the New Climate Regime’ was endorsed by 34 cities and towns and released at the end of the Forum. The Communiqué commits the signatories to pursuing actions in support of the Paris Agreement’s objectives and calls for: improved coordination among all levels of government in developing nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement; national governments to ratify the Paris Agreement as soon as possible; local governments around the world to join the Compact of Mayors; and international finance institutions (IFIs) to improve city access to climate finance.
On this last point, IFIs have the ability to provide loans and grants directly to cities, often for sustainability improvements in city services, infrastructure and local industries, such as efficiency upgrades or renewables for public transport, street lighting, electricity service, district heating or local manufacturing. One example is the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB’s) recent US$25 million loan to the municipality of Santo André, Brazil, for bus rapid transit (BRT) and bike lanes, among other transport improvements that will reduce GHG emissions. IDB also released a guide for smart city management, bringing together practical solutions from 50 cities. The guide, titled ‘The Road towards Smart Cities: Migrating from Traditional City Management to the Smart City,’ aims to help policymakers address the increasing pressures on cities, from disasters and climate change to effective citizen participation. [ICLEI Press Release] [Seoul Communiqué 2016 for the New Climate Regime] [IDB Press Release on Santo André] [IDB Press Release on Smart City Guide] [The Road towards Smart Cities: Migrating from Traditional City Management to the Smart City] [Seoul Mayors Forum on Climate Change Webpage]
Open Letter to G20 Leaders
Ahead of the G20 summit convening in Hangzhou, China, on 4-5 September 2016, cities from the world’s major economies issued an open letter to their national leaders asking them to “work with us to build a low carbon, climate safe world.” As mayors of so-called “megacities” in the C40 network, the signatories discuss their own experiences dealing with the effects of climate change while building solutions that benefit their citizens economically, socially and environmentally. In the letter, they highlight their intentions to each set out concrete plans for how they will deliver on the Paris Agreement goals, and call on their Heads of State to do the same. [Mayors’ Open Letter to G20 Leaders]