Solutions for Change: (How) local authorities are contributing to meet international climate targets

During the UN Climate Summit cities and municipalities impressively presented how they reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and actively support ambitious international climate targets. Acting for the 1500 member municipalities of the city network Climate Alliance Nicola Zingaretti, President of the province of Rome, and Ulrike Janssen, Director of Climate Alliance, demonstrated the already achieved successes, the further goals and the measures necessary for implementation. Efficiency, e.g. cogeneration of heat and power, savings, e.g. with passive houses, and renewable energies are the most important keywords in the process.

Jochen Flasbarth, President of the German Federal Environmental Agency, explained the German climate protection targets and lined out the important role of local authorities: “Effective mitigation of climate change calls for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 95 percent in developed countries until 2050, compared to the 1990 level. We will hardly achieve this goal by taking action on national level alone. Municipalities, for example, have great potential for GHG emission reduction: they can exert major influence on local heat and power supply, transport issues or energy standards in municipal buildings - to mention but a few. There are impressive examples within the ranks of Climate Alliance members of what a difference municipality can make when it comes to local GHG emissions.”

Dr. Karl-Ludwig Schibel, Executive Board of Climate Alliance: “The Climate Alliance cities and municipalities have committed themselves to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent every five years. Therefore we also expect of the governments here in Copenhagen a legally binding agreement of short-term and long-term goals.”

Thomas Brose, Director Climate Alliance, recalled the partnership with the indigenous peoples of the Amazon region and said: “The conservation of the rainforests and the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples are important aims of Climate Alliance. So we welcome forest protection measures, but worry that instruments like REDD will be used to buy one’s way out of the duty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The “Climate Alliance of European Cities with Indigenous Rainforest Peoples” is a city network with 1500 European local authorities in 18 countries that have entered into a partnership with indigenous rainforest peoples ­ united by the common concern for the global climate. By adhering, the cities and municipalities commit to an ambitious target: to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent every five years, with the important milestone of halving per capita emissions at the latest by 2030 (base year 1990).

Climate Alliance / Klima-Bündnis / Alianza del Clima e.V.
European Secretariat
Galvanistr. 28, D-60486 Frankfurt am Main
Tel. +49-69-717139-0, Fax +49-69-717139-93
europe@climatealliance.org
http://www.climatealliance.org

This release was published on openPR.