As Week Two of the 28th annual climate change conference (COP28) begins, LGMA can look back on Week One as the most successful beginning to a COP ever. Clearly there was a lot to celebrate.

LGMA, (Local Government and Municipal Authorities Constituency) the voice of cities and regions, is one of only 3 constituencies that have participated in each of the UN’s annual climate change conferences (COP) since day 1.  The first COP was held in Berlin, Germany in March, 1995 with representatıon from the following constituencies:

Business and Industry NGOs (BINGO)

Environmental NGOs (ENGO)

Local Government and Municipal Authorities (LGMA)

As Week Two of the 28th annual climate change conference (COP28) begins, LGMA can look back on Week One as the most successful beginning to a COP ever. Clearly there was a lot to celebrate.

Loss and Damage Fund

On Day 1, the Parties reached an agreement on the Loss and Damage Fund.  “The Fund which will assist developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, is known in the negotiations as ‘loss and damage.’”  This is a significant development for subnational governments. To quote Yunus Arikan, LGMA Focal Point to UNFCCC:  “This is the most powerful language for subnationals to have direct access to finance on the global front ever, ever in any UNFCCC and even UN document.”  The paragraphs below, taken directly from the  Loss and Damage document, refer directly to this development.    

Paragraph 20 (e):  “Allows all developing countries to directly access resources from the Fund, including through subnational, national and regional entities and through small grant funding for communities, consistently with the policies and procedures to be established by the Board of the Fund and applicable safeguards and fiduciary standards;”

Paragraph 39 (l):  “Establish modalities that allow recipients to use implementing entities, including international, regional, national and local entities, as appropriate, on the basis of functional equivalency with World Bank safeguards and standards;”

Paragraph 45:  “The Fund will promote, in all its operations, direct engagement at the national and, where appropriate, the subnational and local level to facilitate efficiency and the achievement of concrete results.”

Paragraph 49 (b):  “Direct access via subnational, national and regional entities or in partnership with entities accredited to other funds, such as the Adaptation Fund, the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund;” 

Coalition for High Ambition Multi-level Partnerships (CHAMP)

On Dec 1st,  the COP Presidency announced the CHAMP initiative.  The nations which have signed on to CHAMP are committing to “enhance cooperation, where applicable and appropriate, with our subnational governments in the planning, financing, implementation, and monitoring of climate strategies…to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and increase adaptation and resilience.”  CHAMP signatories also agree to “to help them (subnational governments) secure the resources necessary from public and private financial institutions” to bring their projects to fruition.  To-date 65 countries have endorsed CHAMP

According to ICLEI Secretary General Gino Van Begin, “CHAMP promises to be the most significant development for cities and regions in the climate fight since the 2015 Paris Agreement…”

Local Climate Action Summit

For years cities and subnational governments have struggled to be recognized as a key player in the climate change agenda.   Having patiently attended 27 COPs, COP 28 was the charm.  The Local Climate Action Summit (LCAS),  hosted by the COP28 Presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies on Dec. 1st and 2nd, was another first for the constituency.  LCAS was acknowledgement of the fact that cities and regional governments must be integrated into the COP program and processes if global warming is to be kept to 1.5°C.  Or, as Mayor Anne Hidalgo of Paris put it:  “ Without cities, achieving the Paris Agreement is impossible.That is why they must be part of the global climate governance.”  119 cities have made the 2023 CDP annual cities A List, “demonstrating global leadership in environmental action, ambition and transparency.”  We are proud to note that Istanbul and Izmir have both qualıfıed as A list cities.  

MAU High Level Opening: “Kicking-off an era of multilevel action and urbanization in the age of climate emergency

Dec 1st also marked the opening of the Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion.  Among the Dignitaries who delivered messages at the Opening were Nobel Laureate and climate activist Al Gore; the Executive Director of UN-Habitat Maimunah Mohd Sharif; and the First Minister of the  Government of Scotland, Humza Yousaf. 

Subnational governments draw attention to two issues that must be addressed if they are to reach Net Zero by 2050.  Climate finance needs to reach the local level to fund the climate revolution in cities.  And cities need the technical and human resources and access to innovation to make this happen.  Both messages were highlighted time and time again at the Opening.  The Mayor of Malmö Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh highlighted the need with this striking statistic:  “Cities are responsible for 70% of GHG emissions but less than 15% of global climate funding goes to the local level.”

Al Gore’s message instilled both hope and frustration.  “IPCC and other agencies which have taken the time to study this are telling us that we have everything we need to cut emissions in half by 2030.  We’re running out of time, but we can still do it.  And we have a clear line of sight to all of the technologies we need to get to Net Zero by 2050…We know what to do and to make meaningful progress in the face of this crisis… Transitioning to green energy makes our communities cleaner; our people healthier; creates three times as many jobs for each dollar invested, compared to dirty fossil fuel investments.  And still taxpayers around the world are being forced to subsidize the destruction of humanity’s future.  It’s crazy!”

Ministerial on Urbanization and Climate Change   

COP 28 has been truly ground-breaking from the LGMA Constituency’s standpoint.  After 27 years, COP 28 has hosted two official events for local and regional leaders.  The 2nd Ministerial on Urbanization and Climate Change was held on Dec 6th, which also happened to be Multilevel Action Day.  The first Ministerial was held in Sharm El Sheikh at COP 27.

The Under Secretary for the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure Sharif Al Ulema highlighted the importance of including urbanization in the climate agenda.  “We are here to put cities and urbanization at the heart of the climate agenda…COP 28 is a platform to elevate the role of cities and urban areas in addressing climate change.” 

Multilevel Action & Urbanization PavilionWhile all of these events were taking place,  the Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion was busy putting on its usual program focused on the sharing of learnings from cities around the globe.   With so much happening in and around COP, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the program at the Pavilion.  The good news is that all the presentations are on ICLEI’s YouTube channel.