December

Disappointment in Copenhagen as Local Leaders Are Turned Away

Below is the text of a statement released by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability today in Copenhagen in response to the failure to include local governments in a substantive capacity in or allow basic access to the international climate negotiations. More than 1,100 people came to Copenhagen representing local governments from around the world, only to be turned away in these final days.

Read why we find this unfortunate and unacceptable:

ICLEI STATEMENT OF MAYORS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ON FAILURE OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Why is it that national governments are failing where local governments have long succeeded? If the international community had followed the lead of local governments in seeking and implementing ambitious climate solutions, we would be well on our way to solving the challenge of climate change. Instead we find ourselves in Copenhagen on the brink of letting down people from every corner of the planet.

It has been not only days, but years, that we have asked to join with you in this discussion. Since the Rio Convention of 1992 we have supportively stood by you as world leaders with the unending hope and deep belief that you consistently and sincerely find a basis for agreement to effectively address climate change. We trusted you. It has now been 17 years with very little progress on your part.

Different from recent international climate summits, as we headed to Copenhagen this December both our hopes and anxieties were high. Despite headlines chastising the world’s biggest emitters and international leadership for their failure to come to an agreement, we were genuinely hopeful.

As elected officials, we know the power and potential of bold commitments and visionary collaboration. Both of those are required here in Copenhagen, yet they have been trumped at COP15.

We have offered to sit at the table with you and help inform your process. We have asked to be involved with a growing insistence represented by a chorus of local and sub–national leaders from across the world representing all large emitters from developing and developed countries.

We as local elected officials value deeply the obligations that our public roles commit us to. To that end, we cannot return to our homes and constituents without having come to Copenhagen and delivered the message we want you to hear.

It is our demand that the world leaders, Heads of State and the United Nations commit to a strong outcome here in Copenhagen; if not binding it must be operational and set a date within six months for established and binding language. It must commit the world to reduce emissions quickly and dramatically, to avoid the thresholds of dangerous climate disruption.  It must open up clean pathways out of poverty in developing nations. It must launch a clean energy revolution that transforms and revitalizes our economies.  It must deliver solutions as big as the problem.

Do not underestimate our voice, our willingness and power to act and our ability to mobilize. We are hundreds of local leaders around the world supported by millions of people who have long demanded action. We are here to work with you. Let us serve as a resource to you. We are here to help you as are the other expert stakeholders that have come together in historic numbers here in Copenhagen. We understand the political and financial risks that feed your uncertainty; our first-hand experience is proof to allay those fears.

Why do your negotiations exclude the government actors who have demonstrated the political will and practical ability to start solving this global problem? The stakes are too high to be constrained by an antiquated process that mutes the voices of millions. Bring us in as partners, give us a seat at the table and let us share in this responsibility.

Bring us in as partners, give us a seat at the table and let us share in this responsibility. Local and subnational governments should not be underestimated. We are ready. We accept our responsibilities to implement your agreement. Finish this job so we can all start working together on the real job that lies ahead.

Closed Doors Instead of a Seat at the Table

Photo credit: maistora via Flickr Creative Commons

As COP15 in Copenhagen both draws to a close while also accelerating with the arrival of Heads of State including President Obama, tens of thousands of the summit’s participants have been locked out of this historic meeting.

These are the people who made the first week of the conference so energetic, passionate and promising. They – I should say “We” – range from youth delegates to CEOs to mayors to indigenous people to veterans. We are of all political persuasions and races and regions of our planet.

And, in the case of mayors and other local government leaders, they are the people who will ultimately determine the success of any policy agreed upon by these international negotiators. Energy is used in cities and saved in cities. Harmful greenhouse gas emissions are created in cities and reduced in cities. And the solutions to our collective challenges will be created and implemented in cities.

Yet local governments – representatives of which were more than 1,100 strong at Copenhagen which was the second-largest delegation at COP15 – had their access to the summit slashed late Wednesday night. Less than 20 members of the local government group were allowed in today. (Rumor has it the UNFCCC accredited 45,000 people for a venue that has a 15,000 capacity)

We were never given a real seat at the table, but at least we were given access to the decision makers and afforded an opportunity to make our voices heard. Today that access was denied.

What can’t be denied is that local governments have for decades been critical in solving the climate challenge and will be critical in the same vein for decades to come. The doors at Copenhagen may have been closed, but cities are innovative and will only find more doors to open.

Sir Nicholas Stern Recognizes the Role of Cities

Sir Nicholas Stern lends his support for the recognition of the role of cities in addressing climate change during an official side event held on 16 December 2009, during COP15 in Copenhagen. Mayors from 100 leading cities sent a united and strong message to nations and the UN on behalf of cities and local governments world-wide, that cities act and must be recognised as a key partner in tackling climate change.

New York Times: Mayors Seek Role in Climate Regulation

Article reposted from NYT's Green Inc. Blog
December 17, 2009
By James Kanter

One of the busiest corners of the packed building where the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen is taking place belongs to a group called Local Governments for Sustainability.

The group has been holding standing-room-only presentations since the beginning of the conference, with mayors including Michael Bloomberg and Marcelo Ebrard of Mexico City presenting their environmental achievements and lobbying for a leading role in any agreement that emerges this week.

The group has 1,100 delegates at the conference, the second largest number after the host government Denmark.

That number also is a measure of the growing effort by cities and towns — where half the world’s population live — to win more influence over efforts to tackle climate change and to access more funding to put their sustainability policies into action.

Many of the delegates underlined that the bulk of emissions reductions that will be made under any climate accord would require major changes in the building stock and transportation systems of cities, which are home to half the world’s population and a huge proportion of global economic activity.

Mr. Bloomberg said this week that the United States government should have directed more stimulus money to cities, while Mr. Ebrard of Mexico City said that the spectacle of seeing nations at the summit still dominating talks over future policies on climate change has been nothing short of exasperating.

“This is the 21st century,” he told a packed presentation this week. He called for greater input from citizens and their local representatives and “not simply negotiations among heads of state as we did in the 20th century.”

Mayors Meet With State Department to Discuss Role of Local Governments

The ICLEI USA delegation of mayors and county supervisors has been active in engaging US State Department senior negotiators here in Copenhagen. The ICLEI USA delegation met with a representative from the US team of federal negotiators once this past Sunday and again on Tuesday to discuss the important role of local governments in the fight against climate change. These meetings have hit upon a range of topics, from emissions accounting methodologies to the UNFCCC treaty language being debated in the plenary halls and cluttered delegation offices throughout the COP 15.

The primary topic of discussion between the US State Department and US local governments has been UNFCCC treaty text that addresses the vital role of sub-national governments in the successful implementation of all climate protection policies. Local governments are often cited informally as key partners in the implementation of climate protection—from mitigation to adaptation—however, there has not yet been broad-spread recognition of this role within national and international climate protection frameworks. ICLEI USA delegates have requested the support of federal negotiators in ensuring that treaty language include mention of local and state government, and that local agencies are empowered and supported to the greatest extent possible. 

Currently, local governments are mentioned in the draft treaty text in three primary places, however each day there is a new pile of treaty re-drafts at the COP “Documents” desk, reflecting constant revisions to treaty language. ICLEI USA is working hard to retain this language, and as the final week of the COP 15 comes to a close many are concerned that this language could be cut from the text.

Former Mayor of Albuquerque, NM, Martin Chavez implored US State Department representatives today. He said, “We are your partners, we want to be there with you on this issue. If we walk away from this conference and we’re not recognized, but yet will have the obligations to implement, it will be disappointing for us.”

In addition to the international treaty-making process, the ICLEI USA delegation has talked with the US State Department about the importance of establishing policy frameworks that do not penalize local government early adopters (who have already picked the “low-hanging fruit”), as well as the need for a standard US emissions analysis protocol with cohesion between local, state, federal and even international levels.

The State Department has been extremely supportive of comments from the ICLEI USA delegation, and has indicated a commitment to defending and advocating for treaty language that does indeed address and empower local authority. Federal representatives have also expressed interest in continuing to strengthen the ties between federal and local government in the United States. The remarks of Gainsville, FL Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan at the session today captured the nature of the relationship well: “I want to thank you for your openness and your continued willingness to engage and support our efforts. I feel that we have a true ally here. We stand ready to help, and we encourage you to retain the treaty language that recognizes the role of local governments.”

Schwarzenegger Steps Up to the Plate: Calls for Stronger Role of Subnational Governments

Photo credit: Thomas Hawk via Flickr Creative Commons

On Tuesday, Governor Schwarzenegger of California drew crowds at COP15, both within the plenary hall and clustered around flat-screens throughout the Bella Center. He spoke about the leadership of the State of California, and used California’s successes as an example of the important role of sub-national governments in fighting climate change. "California has shown that a sub-national government can lead the way to national change, and I urge all of the world leaders here in Copenhagen to liberate the power beneath the national level.”

Governor Schwarzenneger’s call was not merely for a greater climate negotiation role for state’s such as his own, but for all subnational governments, including municipal governments. "I would ask the U.N. to convene a climate summit, like Copenhagen, but for cities, for states, for provinces and for regions," said the Governor in his speech. "And I would be more than happy to host such a summit in California."

Governor Schwarzenegger’s compelling words parallel comments made by the Mayor of Mexico City, Marcelo Ebrard, here in the ICLEI Local Government Climate Lounge earlier this week. Mayor Ebrard too has asked for a more active role for subnational governments, and has also expressed interest in hosting an event to make this possible, as part of the next COP, which will take place in Mexico City in 2010.

Perhaps there will be a Pacific partnership between subnational leaders to bring the voice of sub-national governments to the center stage of international climate negotiations.

African City Calls for Collaboration and Support from Local Governments in Industrialized Nations

At the heart of the international debate in Copenhagen is the question of how, and to what extent, developed nations like the United States will provide financial and technical support to developing nations. At a COP15 meeting held this week at the ICLEI Local Government Climate Lounge, a similar dialogue unfolded between local government leaders.

In a meeting that brought together mayors from cities such as Kyoto, Mexico City, and Bonn, Mr. Saleh Maalim Alio, councilmember of the municipality of Madera in Eastern Kenya, called on counterparts in the United States, Europe and other parts of the industrialized world to commit to stronger networking and information exchange. Mr. Saleh Maalim Alio asked that local governments from developed nations “partner with, provide support to, and assist local governments in developing countries.”

Mr. Maalim Alio made a presentation during the panel session, outlining the well-known fact that while developing nations—particularly those close to the equator—have contributed the least to the global glut of greenhouse gasses, they will experience the most numerous and severe climate change impacts. He went on to explain the ways in which a strange and devastating cycle of drought and flooding has developed in his area over recent years, disrupting agriculture and stability. His presentation included shocking images of desiccated goat corpses in the desert sands and barren crop lands that had once brought sustaining yields.

When asked about the feasibility of partnering with local governments from the developing world, one US mayor said that it would be nearly impossible for her to win the support to run such a program without outside funding. She noted the pressing economic situation at home, and that she could not imagine her city council or citizens getting behind an initiative to help an African city, when she is currently having to layoff police officers and balance her own budget. She went on to say that with foundation or other outside funding it could indeed be a great partnership opportunity—especially for university towns or between a city and an organization like ICLEI, which could be responsible for the logistical coordination, research and facilitation of information exchange.

Following his presentation, Mr. Saleh Maalim Alio noted that the support that his community could most use would be in the areas of funding, technology transfer and capacity-building. He said that many communities in the area are in a similar position: they need capacity building and training for the local leaders as well as community members and farmers, and of course they need funding.

One of the challenges in this type of partnership is that the municipalities from developing nations primarily need support in adaptation efforts, while most cities from the industrialized world are focusing on mitigation. Local government representatives have argued that the best partnerships are those where each partner benefits from the relationship, rather than it being a one-way street of knowledge transfer. It is possible that partnerships between developed and developing cities could focus on projects and policies that aim to address mitigation and adaptation simultaneously—an area that does demand much more emphasis and that will become increasingly important as climate impacts increase in all parts of the globe while the imperative to reduce emissions grows in severity.

Mayor Bloomberg Spotlights the Message Behind the Message

Speech by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg at ICLEI event during COP15 from ICLEI Global on Vimeo.

Mayor Bloomberg didn’t mince words in his opening talk during ICLEI’s panel discussion on Tuesday: Cities need direct funding for climate mitigation. Cities produce approximately 75 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and worldwide, so you have to send the money to where the problem exists, and where climate impacts will be felt first.

That’s been an oft-repeated headline in the media over the past week, of course. But Mayor Bloomberg drove home the crucial secondary message that isn’t always getting through: Local governments need to be empowered not only because they’re responsible for GHG emissions, but because they’ve proven they know how to implement climate action measures successfully and efficiently.

Climate change is a monolithic problem for governments to tackle. (breaking news, right?) Where do you start? What are the most practical and cost-effective measures to implement? Local governments have already developed a playbook and defined a roadmap for emissions reductions. Mayor Bloomberg highlighted the success of New York’s approach, through its PlaNYC sustainability plan, the new green buildings legislation, and a commitment to accountability.

When you watch the video, also take note of the way Mayor Bloomberg frames the importance of climate action in New York:

We’ve had an environmental agenda that unchokes our economy, cleans up our air, saves us some money, and as a byproduct, helps stop us from destroying the planet. I’ve always thought that if you want to make process, you have to bring [the topic of climate change] back to something that’s near term and personal, otherwise people talk about it but aren’t committed to it, and certainly aren’t willing to spend their money and time to change it.

In Copenhagen, New York City Shares 10 Lessons Learned With the World

During COP15 we've been pounding home the message that local governments play a critical role in climate protection and need to be empowered by national policies and international agreements. But they also need to empower one another -- with ideas, resources, and best practices.

In that regard, ICLEI and New York City just took a step forward. Today in Copenhagen, during ICLEI's panel discussion, "U.S. Climate Leadership: Local, State and Federal Actions," featuring Mayor Michael Bloomberg, we released the Executive Summary of the forthcoming case study, The Process Behind the Plan: How the City of New York Developed PlaNYC, Its Comprehensive Long-Term Sustainability Plan.

View the Executive Summary

The case study, to be released in early 2010, will allow local governments around the world to study and replicate the innovative and successful process New York created to produce PlaNYC—hailed as a breakthrough in sustainability planning and praised by local governments worldwide.

In this written statement, Mayor Bloomberg reiterates his belief in the importance of cities sharing ideas to further climate protection efforts:

“New York City and cities around the world, need organizations like ICLEI to help us share our successes and learn from each other to achieve a common goal of leaving our cities better off for our children and grandchildren,” said Mayor Bloomberg in a written statement. “More than 70% of greenhouse gas emissions come from cities, and we share a powerful responsibility to work together to reduce the effects of global warming.”

10 Factors for PlaNYC's Success

The Executive Summary released today outlines 10 keys to success in the development of PlaNYC, which are more thoroughly described in the full case study:

1. Strong mayoral leadership and cooperation between the Mayor’s Office and City Council
2. Dedicated city agency staff, who performed in-depth research and analysis, involving extensive coordination and collaboration between the agencies
3. A methodical, transparent, and inclusive planning process
4. Central management and coordination provided by the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability
5. An external Sustainability Advisory Board to provide best practice advice and guidance
6. A comprehensive public outreach process to generate broad public support and to help educate the general public about climate change and sustainability issues
7. Strategic release of the plan by the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, which coordinated its announcements with key stakeholders
8. Inclusion in the plan of an implementation plan with a timeline and a funded budget
9. Swift transition from planning to action: the City is actively implementing all 127 initiatives
10. Openness for innovation and policy-making not driven by politics or business as usual

s reached through PlaNYC.

Local Governments Draw Attention and Crowds at COP15

With more than 15,000 people moving around the COP15 venue (the Bella Center) and thousands more waiting in line outside to get in on the action,

But the place to be was ICLEI’s Local Government Climate Lounge, our meeting space inside the Bella Center that happens to be right next to the US delegation’s negotiating office and wedged among those of Papua New Guinea, and France. 

A New York Times article stated that the Lounge was one of the hardest rooms to get in to, because of the mayoral star power we convened, and our "standing-room-only presentations" all week.

Indeed the Lounge was overflowing at most points on Monday with compelling programming ranging from ICLEI’s Secretary General in a one-on-one discussion with Mayor Marcelo of Mexico City (host of the COP16 next December) to the official launch of Carbonn, a new local climate reporting initiative with ICLEI and UNEP. ICLEI USA’s Board President Mayor Patrick Hays joined the mayors of Kyoto, Mexico City, and others from around the world on a panel about advancing climate solutions at the local level.

One reporter for a prominent newspaper stopped by near the end of the day and said basically, “Who are you guys? This place is one of the most happening spots at the COP.”

That’s right, someone tasked with seeking out the hottest news stories at COP15 where hundreds of events take place every day was impressed enough by ICLEI’s Lounge to stop in his tracks and check us out.

There’s more to come in the Lounge today, including Earth Day Network’s launch of the Global Day of Conversation (and event that will take place on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day this year), the official release of ICLEI USA’s “Measuring Up” report [link to the press release], and a panel discussion with New York City Mayor Bloomberg, Wisconsin Governor Doyle, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, and our own Mayor Hays.

Oh and did I mention that it’s the spot where local government representatives here in Copenhagen (and we’ve invited some of our partners at the state level) will be meeting with State Department negotiators to continue pushing for local government representation in the text?

It’s clear that the Lounge – which is the home base for the more than 1,100 local government representatives here at COP15 (second largest delegation) – is one of the hot spots at the Bella Center as we work together to cool down the planet.