|
|
|
|
|
EU Ambassador Discusses Cities’ Contributions at U20 Summit
|
|
|
 During the Urban 20 Summit in Buenos Aires last week, Ambassador Aude Maio-Coliche, Head of the EU delegation in Argentina, discussed the role of cities in delivering on the world’s climate goals during the panel on Localising the Paris Agreement through the lens of multilevel solutions in Latin American cities. Cities are where actions take place in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions, but they also face difficulties accessing the necessary financing to implement ambitious climate action plans.
The ambassador highlighted the EU’s funding for local governments and responded to reports that countries’ NDCs are insufficient to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees, emphasizing the importance of GCoM’s alliance of more than 9,000 cities and local governments voluntarily committed to curb global warming, 70 of which are already developing long-term strategies to reduce emissions by the year 2050.
Board Member and Mayor of Quito Mauricio Rodas participated alongside Jennifer Doherty-Bigara, from the Inter-American Development Bank, and others to discuss how Latin American cities with the support of GCoM have been successful advocating for vertical integration in order to unlock urban climate investment. |
|
|
Call for Innovative Sustainable Investment Ideas ➔ Apply before December 19th
|
|
|
 In October, the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance – composed of over 60 expert institutions in government, development finance, philanthropy, and the private sector – announced an open call for ideas for financial instruments that can unlock investment for climate mitigation and adaptation projects in developing countries. Though cities are leading on climate action, they also face mounting cost from climate impacts. That’s why, the Global Covenant of Mayors, in partnership with the Lab, has launched this special call for ideas that target sustainable cities by seeking ideas to help scale up financial solutions for low-carbon infrastructure. The deadline for idea submission is December 19, and idea proponents will be notified of selection in February 2019. |
|
|
Global Climate City Challenge ➔ Apply Before December 31st
|
|
|
 During the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco in September, the Global Covenant of Mayors and the European Investment Bank announced the Global Climate City Challenge, a pilot initiatives to address key technical and financing barriers and strengthen investment in green projects and programmes essential to improve resilience to a changing climate in cities. Local authorities or entities such as municipal companies, utilities and local banks with a strong commitment to addressing climate change are encouraged to apply before December 31.
The Global Climate City Challenge will support climate action projects in six cities under an initial pilot programme. This will include working to enhance the bankability of projects and increasing financing support as well as sharing experience of smart city technology and innovative urban financing. The initiative will focus on high-impact projects in Africa, Central Asia, Latin America, the European neighbourhood and EU accession countries, with the first targeted support expected to last two years. |
|
1. Film series: How to build a sustainable city
CDP launched the second film in its sustainable cities film series to coincide with UN World Cities Day on October 31. Following the launch of its successful short film on water management in Memphis at the end of September, the new film explores ways in which Stockholm is revolutionizing its transport system, to bring about a fossil fuel free future.
Read More on CDP
2. Swedish city of Uppsala global winner 2018
The Swedish City of Uppsala was named global winner of WWF’s 2018 One Planet City Challenge for its sophisticated cross-sector sustainability interventions as well as its strong leadership in the surrounding region. The One Planet City Challenge recognizes and rewards cities that implementing solutions to meet the demands of urban lifestyles, without exhausting the planet’s ecological capacity.
Read More on WWF
3. Climate Change and Cities: What We Need to Do
The October 2018 IPCC Summary to Policymakers (SMP) indicates we must reduce our GHG emissions by 45% before 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2075. This is a clear warning - we need to act fast and decisively. Meeting the goals is ambitious but not impossible. Mostly, it will require rethinking the way we live, work and travel around the world’s cities, which account for about 75% of global GHG emissions.
Read More on Forbes
4. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston and DC join Bloomberg climate challenge winners
Four more cities have been honored as winners of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ American Cities Climate Challenge: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, DC. The four join six other cities — Los Angeles, San Diego, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, OR and San Jose, CA — in receiving up to $2.5 million each in cash and a spot in a two-year program to help accelerate their efforts to tackle climate change.
Read More on SmartCitiesDive
5. Urban 20 Summit: Mayors bring local priorities to G20
During the Urban 20 Summit (U20) 35 Mayors and city representatives pledged to promote dialogue and cooperation between the G20 and cities around the world and presented a common position to G20 President Mauricio Macri. UCLG is now committed to ensure the link between the messages of Urban 20 and the full local and regional governments’ constituency.
Read more on UCLG
6. Data speak louder than words
This new publication by ICLEI is meant to give voice to cities and regions in the important 2018 national stocktaking exercises on climate change and sustainable development. The aggregated data by and for cities provides a strong justification for diplomacy around adaptation at key events. It aims to enhance understanding of planning, implementing, measuring, and reporting on climate change adaptation and will help activate the necessary awareness, modalities for support, and resources for cities and regions around the world to further commit, plan, implement, monitor, evaluate, and report their climate actions, including adaptation efforts.
Download ICLEI'S Newest Publication
|
|
Simply click on the pictures and share with us!
|
|
|
Africities Summit 2018, Marrakesh, Morocco, 20-24 November
Africities is the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa’s flagship pan-African event that is held every three years in one of the five regions of Africa. The Summit will gather communities and local authorities in African countries, as well as financial institutions, civil society groups and development partners at continental and international level.
|
|
|
COP24, Katowice, Poland, 3-14 December
The 24th Session of the of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP24) will take on the important task to work out and adopt a package of decisions ensuring the full implementation of the Paris Agreement, in accordance with the decisions adopted in Paris (COP21) and in Marrakesh (CMA1.1). Moreover, COP24 will include the so-called Facilitative Dialogue intended to support the implementation of national commitments. GCoM Day will be held at the EU Pavilion on December 10th.
|
|
|
We Want To Hear From You!
|
|
|
Do you like our new Newsletter? Please send us your feedback to info@globalcovenantofmayors.org
|
|
|
|
We invite you to read our full privacy policy here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reports have shown that countries’ current commitments are not sufficient enough to meet the Paris Agreement goals of keeping global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels. 
