Global Covenant of Mayors Board Gathers in Brussels for Inaugural Meeting

Mayors from around the world gathered in Brussels June 26th and 27th for the inaugural Board meeting of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.

This coalition of local leaders envisions a world where committed mayors and local governments — in alliance with partners — accelerate ambitious, measurable climate and energy initiatives that lead to an inclusive, just, low-emission and climate-resilient future, helping to meet and exceed the Paris Agreement objectives. The Board sets the strategic direction for this global alliance which brings together national and regional chapters or local “Covenants.”

Priorities shared by Board members include increasing the speed, urgency and scale of climate action, harmonizing city-level reporting standards to measure city contributions to the Paris Agreement objectives, and increasing investment in city-level climate action.

On the heels of the United States’ announcement to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, this first meeting of the Global Covenant of Mayors leadership could not have come at a more vital time.

On Monday evening, the Global Covenant of Mayors sponsored a discussion on sustainable investment as part of POLITICO’s Cities4Climate 2020 series that explores projects, innovations and synergies driving sustainable cities to success.

Board Member Gregor Robertson, Mayor of Vancouver, gave introductory remarks recognizing the Global Covenant’s international role of fostering local climate action and speaking about Vancouver’s goals and progress towards being the world’s greenest city.

Board Members Kasim Reed, Mayor of Atlanta, and Patricia De Lille, Mayor of Cape Town, took part in a panel discussion with UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa and President of the European Investment Bank, Dr. Werner Hoyer. Both Mayors shared case studies of local climate action and innovative financing that are making cities cleaner and greener as the global community works towards finding critical new sources of investments to surpass the goals set by the Paris Agreement.

On Tuesday morning, the Mayors of the Global Covenant Board convened a media roundtable briefing with European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa. The open-dialogue with members of the press highlighted the critical need for cities and subnational actors to have a negotiating role in climate talks and the growing demand for sustainable investment.

“Allow me, through the media, to call on all local leaders around the world to be part of this unprecedented global movement. Let all of them join the Global Covenant of Mayors,” Co-Chair Maroš Šefčovič said.

The Board made it clear that international cities and local leaders — from Quito, to Chefchaouen, and Seoul — are best positioned to lead the charge against climate change to achieve a collective green future.

At the historic Solvay Library, the Board of the Global Covenant of Mayors called their inaugural board meeting to order. Co-Chairs Michael R. Bloomberg and Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-Chair Christiana Figueres, and Mayoral Board Members Kasim Reed (Atlanta), Patricia de Lille (Cape Town), Tri Rismaharini (Surabaya), Mauricio Rodas (Quito), Gregor Robertson (Vancouver), Mohamed Sefiani (Chefchaouen), Jaiman Uphadyay (Rajkot), Patrick Klugman (Representing Anne Hidalgo, Paris), and Boyoun Hwang (Representing Park Won-soon, Seoul) met to set the vision, mission, and objectives of the Global Covenant of Mayors for 2017. Observers to the Board included Patricia Espinosa (Executive Secretary, UNFCCC and Advisor to Global Covenant), Amanda Eichel (Executive Director, Global Covenant), Gino Van Begin (Executive Secretary, ICLEI Global) representing global city network and Claire Roumet (Director, Energy Cities) representing European city networks.

The Board discussed at length how committed cities can communicate an inspiring vision around climate mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable energy access as well as establishing a harmonized data standard for city-level emissions in order to be able to compare data to demonstrate the investable impact of city-level action on the path towards 2018.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Board attended a luncheon with King Philippe of Belgium at the Royal Castle of Laeken. His Majesty reflected on his experience as Honorary Chairman of the Federal Council for Sustainable Development, which brings together economic, social, environmental and scientific bodies from around the nation to formulate recommendations to the federal government.

Later at the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, mayors and their staff participated in two briefings to strategize further progress for the Global Covenant of Mayors. Vice-Chair Christiana Figueres, chief negotiator of the Paris Agreement, explored opportunities for scaling up the Global Covenant of Mayors’ impact in each global region, and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa discussed the possibility of engaging Mayors and cities in the UNFCCC’s non-state actor process through the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action.

Following the briefings, the Board met with members of Climate Without Borders — a recently established global network that aims to connect, equip and empower weather presenters to include information about climate change science and action in their communications.

The Board then travelled to the European Parliament to hear an address from Co-Chair Michael R. Bloomberg and a Q&A with Bloomberg and Carl Pope, co-authors of the New York Times best-seller, Climate of Hope.

The fight against climate change is urgent. By joining forces worldwide, Global Covenant cities are creating a path to victory. — Co-Chairs Michael R. Bloomberg and Maroš Šefčovič.

As a result of the Board’s convening, mayors from across the world left with a sense of urgency to do more. For local leaders, there simply is not a choice: they must act now to build low-carbon and resilient communities that will last well into the future.

The Global Covenant of Mayors serves cities and local governments by mobilizing and supporting ambitious, measurable, planned climate and energy action in their communities by working with city/regional networks, national governments and other partners to achieve its vision.

Local voices must be heard, and it is up to this coalition’s 7,400+ cities and local governments to lead the global fight against climate change and secure a sustainable urban future for all. As the world looks towards delivering the Paris Agreement, it is committed cities that will develop the sustainable pathway to get there.