Governing Mayor of Oslo Eirik Lae Solberg has been elected as Vice Chair of the C40 Cities Steering Committee, the governing body providing strategic direction for the global network of nearly 100 cities committed to addressing the global climate crisis.
Eirik Lae Solberg represents the Conservative Party and has been the Governing Mayor of Oslo since fall 2023. Governing Mayor Solberg is strongly committed to Oslo’s adopted climate targets of 95% reduction in direct emissions by 2030, while ensuring that the city preserves nature and is resilient. International cooperation is essential in achieving this target.
This week, at Oslo’s City Hall, Governing Mayor Solberg signed a new grant with C40 Executive Director Mark Watts, from the City of Oslo to C40 Cities, to accelerate cutting-edge climate solutions in cities.
The grant will focus on implementing climate budgeting, an iterative process that embeds climate targets and considerations into a city’s budget, policies, and decisions, and key areas such as reducing emissions from the construction sector.
Governing Mayor Solberg has an economics, political science, and history education. Before becoming Governing Mayor, Solberg’s career has been dedicated to leading positions in local and national politics and the private sector.
In his new role as Vice Chair on the C40 Steering Committee, Governing Mayor Solberg will be advocating for bold and innovative climate action in cities around the world and inspiring change for a better future for all people. As Vice Chair, Governing Mayor Solberg will be a strong voice for using climate governance tools such as climate budgeting and public procurement to accelerate climate action. Oslo is committed to sharing solutions with other C40 cities and advocating for national and international city leadership.
C40’s member cities represent 700 million residents and one-quarter of the world’s economy. Through collaboration and innovation, the mayors of C40 Cities are determined to deliver on the Paris Agreement’s highest ambition and keep global temperature rise to below 1.5°C, and to do so in an equitable way.
Governing Mayor Solberg said: “I am pleased and honoured to represent the C40 innovator cities in the Steering Committee, and to renew C40 and Oslo’s pioneering work together. We need to cut emissions and preserve nature to ensure good and free lives for the coming generations. Oslo is committed to sharing climate solutions and learning from other C40 cities, and to advocating for city leadership at national and international levels to achieve faster results in climate action.”
Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities, said: “I am thrilled to welcome Governing Mayor Eirik Lae Solberg to the C40 Steering Committee. Since joining C40 in 2012 Oslo has lived up to its reputation as being an innovator city – often being the first to develop and share solutions to cut pollution. I am delighted both that Governing Mayor Solberg is so committed to continue this long and fruitful history of working together with other globally leading mayors through C40, and that he was elected by his peers to serve as a C40 Vice-Chair. The renewed grant between C40 and Oslo is critical to demonstrate the action happening now in cities and to mainstream pioneering solutions, from climate budgeting to clean construction.