World Mayors discuss Climate Change

Press Release

 

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Nantes, France, 1 October 2013 –   Participants to the World Mayors Summit on Climate Change in Nantes (France) Saturday, strongly supported the GEF-proposed Sustainable Cities initiative, in an effort to address key drivers of environmental degradation through city-focused action.

During the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Forum, GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii presented the proposed Sustainable Cities program and solicited feedback from city leaders and specialists from around the world about barriers to integrated urban planning, areas that require urgent investment, and partnerships to facilitate mutual learning. The forum participants also discussed the use of common key indicators to connect local action to global impact.

Xubiao Yang, Deputy Executive Mayor of Hangzhou, China, underscored the importance of urban planning to build an inclusive, low-carbon city that also manages historical and cultural assets in a sustainable way.  Mr. Yang also requested GEF support at the city level.

Sanjit Rodrigues, Commissioner of Panjim, India, spoke about his city's challenges with waste management and called for technical expertise and administrative support to establish Panjim as a worldwide model for solid waste management. “Fund managers must invest in promising experiments such as in Panjim and then promote resulting successes”, he said.

African leaders pointed out the legal difficulties they face, especially at the local level that often lacks of autonomy and decision-making power over allocation of funds. To ensure climate actions are properly resourced, greater power needs to be given to local governments, they argued.

The need to address the price of carbon was addressed by Richard Kinley, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNFCCC. He also suggested looking at opportunities for local government to access carbon markets.

Stephen Hammer, Lead Urban Specialist on Cities and Climate with the World Bank, asserted that there is a need for greater information and common standard setting, in order for investors to judge the impact of their investment. “Cities and financial institutions need to work together to simplify and standardize approaches”, he said.

Ishii called our era a "critical juncture" in which humanity is surpassing the capacity of vital ecosystems, spurred by the trends of a rapidly growing population, changing consumption patterns, and increased urbanization. “By now I am more convinced than ever that this approach is the right one to proceed and promote local climate actions. I hear a very strong commitment from all of you, and aspiration to do it better in spite of all your challenges”, she said concluding the event.

The Global Environment Facility Forum was held in partnership with the World Mayors Council on Climate Change and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability.

 

Note for editors:

Further information for journalists, including the programme, participant list and images from the event, can be found at www.iclei.org/press. Updates are available on Twitter by following #MayorsSummit

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Background

ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability is the world´s leading association of cities and local governments dedicated to sustainable development. ICLEI is a powerful movement of 12 mega-cities, 100 super-cities, 450 large cities and urban regions as well as 450 small and medium-sized cities and towns in 83 countries. ICLEI promotes local action for global sustainability and supports cities to become sustainable, resilient, resource-efficient, biodiverse, low-carbon; to build a smart infrastructure; and to develop an inclusive, green urban economy with the ultimate aim to achieve healthy and happy communities.

More information:

Website: www.iclei.org/worldmayorssummit2013
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ICLEI

 

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites 183 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.

Since 1991, GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, providing $11.5 billion in grants and leveraging $57 billion in co-financing for over 3,215 projects in over 165 countries. Through its Small Grants Programme (SGP), the GEF has also made more than 16,030 small grants directly to civil society and community based organizations, totaling $653.2 million. 

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