EU cities and regions at COP29: President Vasco Cordeiro leads the CoR delegation in Baku

The 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP29) will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November. Led by President Vasco Alves Cordeiro, the delegation of the European Committee of the Regions is joining forces with key international networks of subnational governments to recall the important role of regions and cities in climate action. Members will have meetings with negotiators from the EU and various Member States, as well as mayors and regional leaders from across the world. With climate financing as key item on the negotiation table, the CoR will present a new study on adaptation financing mechanisms at local level.

With deadly floods and other climate disasters impacting regions across Europe, most recently in Spain, the CoR delegation will call for increased focus on and funding for adaptation measures at local and regional level, as well as underline the need to deliver on the commitments made at the COP28 last year, including phasing out of fossil fuels as quick as possible while ensuring a just transition for all regions.

In line with the joint position agreed with global networks of local and regional governments, regions and cities are urging to be included in the design and implementation of the new Nationally Determined Contributions, due by COP30 in 2025, and to align the climate, nature, pollution and sustainable development agendas at global level.

Quote:

President Vasco Alves Cordeiro: “Across Europe and around the globe, regions and cities are delivering the green transition on the ground. At the same time, they are increasingly affected by the climate crisis. At COP29, the European Committee of the Regions delegation will advocate for the inclusion of local and regional authorities in the development, financing and implementation of ambitious national climate plans leading up to 2025. Regions and cities play a crucial role in the success of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal, but we cannot do it alone. Effective multi-level governance and targeted financial support are needed to make sure the transition is a success.”

Highlights (check the COP29 live blog for latest updates):

11 November: COP opening. Delegation members will attend the opening session of the COP29. In the evening, President of Zagreb City Assembly Joško Klisović (HR/PES), will participate as panellist in an event on National Adaptation Plans and the role of local authorities in shaping them. The discussion will focalise on how cities and regions can help bridge the gap between local adaptation needs and the national adaptation plans.

12 November: Opening of the Multilevel Action Pavilion. The Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion serves as the global stage for the city and region climate agenda during COP29. The Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency is recognised as an implementing partner to the Paris Agreement and represents local and regional governments in the UNFCCC process. The CoR has endorsed the LGMA COP29 Joint Position that unites the voices of cities and regions to amplify the claims of subnational actors. President Vasco Cordeiro and other members of the delegation will also hold bilateral meetings with negotiators and representatives from Germany, Greece, Scotland and Poland.

13 November: LGMA Constituency’s Response to World Climate Action Summit. World's local and regional leaders will share their reflections on the discussions of the World Climate Action Summit (WCAS) and the role of local and regional governments in implementing policies to achieve the Paris Agreement objectives. President Vasco Cordeiro will speak in a high-level session with the Governor of Tokyo and the Mayor of Istanbul. The CoR President will join the official WCAS Urban Side Event, and he will deliver a speech at the Mediterranean Pavilion. Members will also have a briefing with the EU negotiators (DG CLIMA deputy director-general Jan Dusík). Juraj Droba (SK/ECR), the President of Bratislava Self-Governing Region, will intervene at the Sustainable Innovation Forum on smart transport solutions.

14 November: Local action, global goals: UN support towards cities in the NDCs. President Vasco Cordeiro will speak at the UN-Habitat side-event with emphasis on the revision of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by 2025. The discussion will focalise on to strengthen urban content of revised NDCs and build on local climate action to achieve global goals. The CoR delegation will also have a meeting with global networks of cities and regions (Regions4, UNEP, Climate-Kic, Under2Coalition and ICLEI).

15 November: Climate Action Innovation Zone. Mayor of Autun Vincent Chauvet (FR/Renew Europe) will take the floor at the Agrifood Systems Summit to discuss farmer-led pathways to a just transition. Member of Flemish Parliament Andries Gryffroy (BE/EA) will intervene at the Hydrogen Transition Summit on creating the optimal conditions for rapid hydrogen infrastructure roll-out. Both events are parallel to the COP29 and are organised by Climate Action in the Climate Action Innovation Zone at Baku Marriott Hotel Boulevard. Meanwhile at the COP29 venue, delegation members will exchange views with Québec's Minister for Environment Benoît Charrette.

16 November: Building the Business Case for Climate Finance at the Subnational Level. The CoR is organising in partnership with regional networks an official side-event, where Niina Ratilainen (FI/Greens), Member of Turku City Council, will present the main findings of the new CoR study on adaptation financing mechanisms. It examines four case studies across the EU (in Sweden, Spain, France and Slovakia) to identify problems for local and regional authorities in accessing financing sources for adaptation and provides recommendations on how to overcome them.

19 November: Briefing with EU Commissioner, European Parliament and EESC delegations. President of Andalusia Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla (ES/EPP) will represent the CoR to learn about the latest state of play of the COP29 negotiations and present the CoR priorities.

20 November: Ministerial on Climate and Urbanisation. Cities, sustainable urbanization, multilevel and multisectoral climate action and urban climate finance will be the centre of the COP29's thematic day on Urbanisation, Transport and Tourism. Mr Moreno Bonilla will attend the Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change, which highlights the importance of multilevel and multisectoral climate actions and collaboration and scaling up of urban climate finance. On the same afternoon, the CoR plenary session in Brussels will host a debate with members of the COP29 delegation to take stock of the situation before the crucial final days of the negotiations.

Members of the CoR delegation at the COP29:

Vasco Alves Cordeiro (PT/PES) – CoR President and Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores

Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla (ES/EPP) – President of Andalusia

Joško Klisovic (PES/HR) – President of the City Assembly of Zagreb

Vincent Chauvet (FR/Renew) – Mayor of Autun 

Juraj Droba (SK/ECR) – President of Bratislava Self-Governing region

Niina Ratilainen (FI/The Greens) – Member of Turku City Council 

Andries Gryffroy (BE/EA) – Member of the Flemish Parliament

The CoR Secretary-General Petr Blížkovský will accompany the delegation.

Take a visual journey with our COP29 photo gallery! (from 11 November)

Background information:

●      COP29 web portal

●      CoR delegation to the COP29 and political messages

●      LGMA position paper for COP29

●      CoR best practices

●      Green Deal Going Local

Contact:                                                      

Lauri Ouvinen
Tel. +32 473536887
lauri.ouvinen@cor.europa.eu