Local and regional authorities, key actors in COP22

Following the adoption of the Paris Agreements during COP21 in December 2015, the Member States of the Convention on Climate Change have 5 years to define the concrete policies that will enable them to reach the emissions reductions and other commitments they agreed to undertake. COP22, to be held in Marrakech, Morocco, in November 2016, is meant to be the COP of actions. Once again, non-State actors will be requested to showcase the actions they are already implementing and their targets for climate change reduction.
 

How to prepare?

Local and regional authorities are actively involved in the preparations for COP22 and have committed to provide information on their current efforts and ensure the creation of coalitions of different stakeholders around concrete actions.

All of the events below are linked in order to build upon one another and provide concrete inputs to the COP.
 
Global Climate Covenant of Mayors 

The two leading processes to mobilize climate action at the local level, the European Covenant of Mayors started in 2008 and the Compact of Mayors started at the 2014 UN Climate Summit, have decided to join forces in order to respond more effectively to the challenges and opportunities of the new climate regime as a result of the Paris Agreement. The new initiative, announced in June 2016, will be called Global Climate Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. 
 
MedCOP22

More than 2,000 organizations, cities and regions, companies, policymakers, civil society organizations, research/training centres and elected members of the Mediterranean States were represented in Tangiers on 18 and 19 July. They aimed to make Mediterranean actors’ commitments concrete by preparing an operational road map for mitigation and adaptation, enriching the global climate solutions agenda, and by bringing together coalitions of stakeholders. (For more information see: http://www.medcop-programme.org/)
 
Climate Summit of African Cities and Regions

During the first week of September 2016, a COP22 preparatory meeting of African regional and local governments will take place in Cotonou, Benin, at the invitation of Mr. Jose Tonato, Minister of the Environment and City Planning of the Republic of Benin, with the collaboration of UCLG-Africa and the Francophone Institute of Sustainable Development (IFDD).
 
Climate Chance Summit 

Building on the Lyon Summit held in July 2015, a first edition of Climate Chance Summit will take place from 26 to 28 September in Nantes.
Climate Chance aims to become a regular event for all non-State actors involved in the fight against climate change that will develop a global plan of action, offer more in-depth discussions on both achievements and obstacles, encourage the sharing of experiences and innovations, as well as highlight emerging opportunities.
The outcomes of the Summit will be shared with the scientific committee of COP22 and brought to the Marrakech Summit.
 
Second Climate Summit for Local Leaders, Marrakech 

Following on the success of the Climate Summit for Local Leaders held by the city of Paris in the framework of COP21, the Mayor of Marrakech, Mohammed Larbi Belcaid, is convening another summit aiming to bring together all networks of local and regional governments and to give special attention to concrete actions implemented by our constituency. It will focus on political, technical and financial solutions to support the implementation of climate-friendly projects at territorial level.
The Summit will take place back-to-back with COP22, at the City Hall on 14 November (date and venue tbc).
 
For more information please visit the official website of COP22

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