Welcome to the second edition of the COP Chronicles, bringing you the latest news on COP28 from Dubai;
On the fourth and fifth days of COP28, the CoR delegation worked hand in hand with global networks, the EU Commission and EU Member States to ensure the recognition of subnational climate action in COP28 decision documents and the Global Stocktake outcome report. The delegation participated in side events and high-level meetings during the Energy, Finance, and Gender Days, focusing on accelerating urban sustainability, promoting the sustainable reconstruction of Ukrainian cities, facilitating local energy transitions, and ensuring air quality, among other topics.
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EU local leaders meeting with the European Commission. European leaders, including CoR members ENVE Chair Rafał Trzaskowski (pl/epp), Alison Gilliland (IE/PES), Niina Ratilainen (FI/The Greens), Vincent Chauvet (FR/Renew Europe) and Ricardo Rio (PT/EPP), met with the European Commission to discuss the negotiating role of the EU. They emphasised the importance of incorporating the COP28 Presidency's 'Coalition for High Ambition Multi-Level Partnerships' (CHAMP) into concrete references within the COP28 decision documents and Global Stocktake outcome report. This would foster the inclusion of a requirement for national governments to involve subnational governments in the revision and implementation of upcoming Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Localising energy: cities and companies teaming up for local energy transition. ENVE Chair Rafał Trzaskowski and Alison Gilliland joined in the EU Pavilion fellow mayors and representatives from the private sector for a discussion on how city representatives and small- and medium-sized enterprises can advance the energy transition locally. Both highlighted the crucial role of a constructive and stable cooperation between the public and private sectora and the need for a community-based approach as key accelerators for the clean energy transition. Watch the recording here!
Decentralised power: cities rethinking the future of energy in Ukraine and beyond. Niina Ratilainen joined Ukrainian and other EU local leaders at this event co-organised by the CoR, DG ENER and the Covenant of Mayors. She presented the role of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine in supporting the sustainable reconstruction of Ukrainian cities. Watch the recording here!
Meeting with Finnish Ministry of the Environment. Alison Gilliland, Vincent Chauvet and Ricardo Rio met with Juhani Damski, Permanent Secretary of the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, to take stock of the negotiations. They invited Finland to endorse the 'Coalition for High Ambition Multi-Level Partnerships' (CHAMP) as a direct follow up to the EU Council conclusions for COP28, which recognise the role of subnational governments in accelerating climate action and stress the need for their involvement in the process of implementing NDCs.
Bilateral meeting with Utrecht Mayor. First Vice-President Apostolos Tzitzikostas (EL/EPP) met with Sharon Dijksma, Mayor of Utrecht, to discuss how the CoR can feed into the work of the UN Secretary General's Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments, in view of the organisation of the Summit for Future in 2024.
Meeting with the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR). Alison Gilliland and Vincent Chauvet joined CEMR political delegates and Cecilia Kinuthia-Nieng, Director for Intergovernmental Support and Collective Progress at the UNFCCC, to discuss how to better include the subnational level to accelerate action and how to give young generations, including CoR Young Elected Politicians (YEPs), a greater role in combating climate change. The CoR has a Memorandum of Understanding with CEMR and cooperates on various aspects in the field of climate action, including UNFCCC COPs.
From commitment to delivery - financing multilevel action - Alison Gilliland joined representatives from the COP28 Presidency, Germany, the Dominican Republic and the NDC Partnership to assess the progress of the CHAMP initiative. Together, they reflected on the accomplishments achieved thus far and strategized the necessary actions for implementation leading up to COP30 in Belem, Brazil in 2025.
Unlocking the just transition through local action. ENVE Chair Rafał Trzaskowski joined the mayors of Freetown and New Orleans, along with Eric Mwezi Manzi, Deputy General Secretary of the ITUC, to showcase the importance of a just transition to achieve Warsaw's climate goals. The event highlighted how a partnership with unions and workers is crucial for urban climate action.
Bilateral meeting with the Under2 Coalition. 1st Vice-President Apostolos Tzitzikostas met with Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, and Champa Patel, Executive Director for Governments and Policy, to explore ways of stepping up cooperation between the Under2 Coalition and the CoR to achieve the net zero emissions goal by 2050, as a follow up of the Memorandum of Understanding established by both institutions.
Cities and Innovation at COP28: Expanding climate and innovation agendas to deliver 11 billion flourishing lives. Organised by ICLEI World, Alison Gilliland joined representatives from UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub, Mission Innovation, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to discuss how to align innovation agendas pursued at the global, regional, national, and local levels with the needs of people and the planet.
European Commission briefing for Climate Pact Ambassadors. As CoR Climate Pact Ambassador, Vincent Chauvet took part in a briefing led by Dimitrios Zevgolis, Deputy Head of the EU COP28 Delegation. The meeting provided ambassadors with insights into climate negotiations and citizens' involvement.
CapaCITIES day: An Expanded Climate & Innovation Agenda with Focus on Human Needs. Alison Gilliland participated in this panel, delving into the core principles and tools of the Expanded Climate and Innovation Agenda (ECIA). The dialogue explored the capacities cities require to enhance their existing climate strategies and actively contribute as solution providers towards global sustainability. Watch the recording here!
New business models and innovative finance strategies to drive the deployment of climate and sustainability solutions in cities. Ricardo Rio participated in a panel organised in the UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub to showcase perspectives and financial challenges faced at the local level in the EU. The session provided an opportunity to discuss new approaches to developing bankable projects and ensuring successful finance flows.
Bilateral meeting with SME united. Alison Gilliland met with Véronique Willems, Secretary General of SME united, to explore how to best integrate the lessons learned from the Covenant of Companies into the Covenant of Mayors in EU policymaking and the activities of the CoR. The discussion also focused on regional examples of best practice for cooperation between regions/municipalities and SMEs, mainly on topics related to energy sharing, collective energy actions, and circularity hubs.
Sustainable Fashion for Climate – Paris 2024. As part of the reflections on Paris' pledge to become the 'Sustainable Capital of Fashion' for the 2024 Olympic Games, Vincent Chauvet actively participated in an exchange of views at the French Pavilion on how cooperation at city and regional levels can improve the sustainability of the fashion industry.
Sustainable living and working spaces: how urban design can contribute to the Paris Agreement. Ricardo Rio joined industry leaders in urban planning, architecture, construction, and transport to explore how these sectors can collaborate with local and regional leaders to foster sustainability in cities. Additionally, panellists discussed some of the opportunities and challenges that cities in the Global South face in becoming more environmentally sustainable.
Take a visual journey with our photo gallery and check out our live blog for real-time coverage.
Background information:
Contact: ENVE secretariat
enve@cor.europa.eu