On Monday 14 November in Marrakesh, during the second world summit of local and regional climate delegates, EU regional and local representatives asserted that they intended to play a key role in the process of implementing the Paris climate agreement.
This summit brings together thousands of participants from the four corners of the earth in an effort to put pressure on national governments, as well as the United Nations, so that a new climate governance is put in place that fully takes into account local and regional authorities. These regional leaders are also hoping that the UN COP22 conference will produce both concrete action and financial and technical measures so that the Paris agreement becomes operational.
Markku Markkula, the Committee of the Regions President, stated “We have no more time to look backwards and have to move forward quickly”. After COP21 marked the end of 2015 with the “historic” Paris Agreement (see EUROPE 11452), the COP22 of Marrakech must be one of “action”. In Paris, regional and local bodies were acknowledged as capable of meeting the commitments made by the national governments. One year on, Mr Markkula has highlighted “a cruel lack of funding at a level of the local and regional bodies”.
The EU was also given a hearing by Andreas Walter’s intermediary, the mayor of the German city of Cologne and Climate Alliance (the largest network of European cities dedicated to the climate issue) ambassador. “Our network includes 1700 cities and municipalities having from 26 European countries”, he said. The Climate Alliance’s aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% every five years for each of the network’s municipality members. He hammered home the fact that ”This is much more ambitious than any other national objective and we will obtain it!” Cities account for 70% of the world’s emissions alone. The network ambassador exclaimed, “You clearly need local and regional levels to attain your national objectives, give us the means to achieve them!”
Yvon Slingenberg, the representative of the European Commission environment services indicated that the EU was attempting to increase private finance in favour of the local and regional authorities. For the time being, however, it is still the member states of the EU that are the main donors in climate affairs, accounting for €17.6 billion (see EUROPE 11654).
Markkula wants to turn Trump election into opportunity
The announcement of the election of Donald Trump in the US, a clear climate sceptic who is determined to undo the Paris agreement that his predecessor has just ratified, was also a subject tackled during the summit. The Committee of the Regions President stated “Obviously this is worrying. We have to see the election of Mr Trump as an opportunity. We have to speed up and move forwards and show the government of Donald Trump that we are efficient”. (Original version in French by Thomas Régnier – Intern)