EU Cities and Regions at COP29: Flash report 11 & 12 November

Welcome to the first edition of the COP Chronicles, bringing you the latest news on COP29 from Baku, Azerbaijan.

The first two days of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku are now behind us and have marked a successful and intensive start for the CoR delegation. After the official opening ceremony, the presentation of the joint position paper of the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency set the course for ensuring a strong and unified voice of local actors. Members of the CoR delegation took part in panel discussions on the role of local authorities in shaping national strategies, promoting a circular economy model, and raising ambition in the area of urban climate action. The CoR President Vasco Alves Cordeiro and the CoR delegation met EU negotiation leaders to discuss this year’s priorities and reiterate the important role of subnational actors in climate action.

Launch of the LGMA Joint Position Paper: The Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency is recognised as an implementing partner to the Paris Agreement and represents local and regional authorities (LRAs) in the UNFCCC process. In close cooperation with the CoR and other associated networks, the LGMA issued its COP29 Joint Position to unite the voices of LRAs and amplify the claims of subnational actors at COP29. The three key demands being made are (1) to accelerate inclusive, multilevel, gender-responsive and cooperative action through new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), developed in partnership with LRAs; (2) to finance sustainable urbanisation and climate action at all levels; and (3) to align climate, nature, pollution and sustainable development agendas.

Meeting with Anna Lührmann, German Minister of State for Europe and Climate: The CoR President Vasco Alves Cordeiro, along with the members of the CoR delegation, had the opportunity to discuss the CoR's priorities for COP29 and receive updates on the ongoing negotiations, including those on financial aspects. The CoR delegation emphasised the need to secure direct access to funds for LRAs, as well as to maintain the multilevel governance model of cohesion policy.

A bilateral dialogue with the head of the Polish delegation and Vincent Chauvet (FR/Renew Europe), Juraj Droba (SK/ECR), Niina Ratilainen (FI/The Greens) and Andries Gryffroy (BE/EA) took place to understand Poland’s main priorities for COP29 and to reiterate the need to include cities and regions in the UNFCCC process. The CoR delegation highlighted that the subnational level will be key to achieving the EU’s climate targets and stressed the importance of the upcoming Polish Council presidency in providing ambitious impetus in this area.

Dialogue with Renato Casagrande, Governor of Espiritu Santo (Brazil): The CoR President met with Renato Casagrande, Governor of Espiritu Santo in Brazil, the country that will host the UN Climate Conference next year. They discussed possibilities to strengthen the role of LRAs in the run-up to COP30 and shared thoughts on the current involvement of cities in national climate strategies.

Meeting with Mayors from the United States: The CoR President Vasco Alves Cordeiro and Vincent Chauvet had meeting with Melisa Logan, Mayor of Blytheville (Arkansas) and Hollies J. Winston, Mayor of Brooklyn Park (Minnesota). The meeting showed that persistent efforts of engaged US LRAs ensure that the transition towards climate neutrality will continue in the USA.

National Adaptation Plans and the role of local authorities in shaping them: While climate change impacts accelerate, there remains a substantial gap in actions implemented to adapt to these new realities. A crucial element in preparing and strategically planning measures are the ‘National Adaptation Plans’ (NAPs). Joško Klisović (HR/PES), the rapporteur of the CoR opinion Towards a multi-level Green Deal Governance: the revision of the governance of the Energy Union and the Climate Action Regulation, contributed, as a panellist, to the discussion on how cities and regions can help bridge the gap between local adaptation needs and the NAPs. By reflecting local realities and integrating bottom-up solutions, local actors can help better inform national strategies and achieve more robust planning instruments. 

Raising the bar and setting the pace – Cities, states and regions leading the race toward a net-zero, climate-resilient future: The event, organised by the US State Department, explored how cities and regions can work together with non-governmental organisations, the private sector and academia to enhance climate action, with a special focus on the building sector. Niina Ratilainen, contributed to the debate by sharing experiences from the city of Turku and presenting a best-practise example of the energy-efficient refurbishment of the city's student village.

The CoR President Cordeiro had a bilateral meeting with Gillian Martin, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy. As co-chair of the Under2Coalition and fellow member of the LGMA Constituency, Scotland plays a vital role in making the voices of LRAs heard. The meeting was used to strengthen the joint efforts towards a stronger involvement of LRAs in UNFCCC processes and incorporation of LRAs into national climate strategies.

Meeting with the Under2Coalition: Andries Gryffroy exchanged views with the Coalition’s Head of Subnational Governments, on salient negotiation issues and deepening future collaboration. The Under2Coalition is a global alliance of subnational governments committed to ambitious climate action. It represents nearly half of global GDP and is an important partner in advocating for greater inclusion of LRAs in global policy discussions.

The Mayor of Saitama City, in collaboration with ICLEI Japan, organised a debate on continuing the critical role and engagement of local governments in the G7 process. In 2021, LRAs in G7 countries got together to form Urban7 to stimulate continuous dialogue between the forum's nations and municipal actors. The panel debate, where Vincent Chauvet participated, aimed at sharing recent progress in this regard, including the 2024 Italian G7 presidency outcomes and other key international initiatives.

Joško Klisović participated in a panel on raising ambition in the area of urban climate action through multilevel governance, together with representatives from UN Global Compact, the governments of Sri Lanka, Estonia and Bangladesh, and academics from universities in Denmark and the UK. The diverse set of speakers discussed developments in the latest research on the role of cities in national climate policies and, vice-versa, the impact of national legislation on cities in different climate policy areas. The panellists identified fruitful avenues for raising ambition in the area of urban climate action, for example by ensuring that the subnational level is consulted when drafting National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs).

Multi-level efforts to realise a sound material-cycle: Niina Ratilainen was invited to this panel, organised by ICLEI Japan and co-hosted by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, to discuss how closer collaboration between the national and subnational levels can contribute to achieving a circular society. Speakers learnt from their efforts to synergise initiatives for net-zero, the circular economy, and nature-positive efforts.

Take a visual journey with our COP29 photo gallery and Live blog!

Background information: 

• COP29 web portal
• CoR delegation to COP29 and political messages
• LGMA position paper for COP29
• CoR best practices
• Green Deal Going Local