For the first time the leadership of local and regional authorities in driving climate action was recognized, a move long supported and pushed for by Vincent Chauvet, Mayor of Autun, France and Renew Europe CoR coordinator in the Commission for the Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE).
The Council Conclusions for COP28 acknowledge the leadership of local and regional authorities, allowing them to gain recognition in the EU COP28 negotiating mandate.
Vincent Chauvet, Mayor of Autun, France, member of the CoR’s Green Deal Going Local Working Group, Climate Pact Ambassador and CoR rapporteur on ‘Stepping up Europe’s 2030 climate ambition towards COP26‘, is pleased with this outcome. It comes just ahead of the COP28 which will take place from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and in which he will once again participate as member of the European Committee of the Regions delegation: “Climate change needs the involvement of local and regional representatives. As Mayor, as elected politicians, we want to have our say in mitigation and fighting climate change and preserving biodiversity”
Chauvet had been pushing for more of a leadership role for local and regional authorities in the absence of national governments that don’t seem to manage an ambitious agreement.
“Cities and regions needed to get this more serious, formal role in the climate negotiations, as they have a serious role in fighting climate change. The EU needs to lead there as well with ambition, giving also direct funding for cities and regions that would translate into tangible projects at the local level. This would give an additional push to the extraordinary ambitions that are already implemented in many European cities and regions, showing the way to local and regional authorities (LRAs) around the world and give LRAs leverage in accelerating the transition on the ground”
“If we want to succeed, we have no other choice but to involve and trust Mayors and local representatives. The upcoming COP28 in Dubai can now not forget or ignore that it is us who will have to carry out the decisions, spending the money for the energy transition, for decarbonisation so we require and deserve our important place at the table”.
The 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
