Global city networks join together to launch new campaign to drive sustainable infrastructure, giving cities momentum to reach ambitious climate goals
Paris France, 12 December 2017 – Today, at the One Planet Summit in Paris, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy announced the One Planet Charter to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement in cities and local governments across the world.
The One Planet Charter – announced on the two-year anniversary of ratifying the Paris Agreement – signifies a new commitment campaign by the world's global city networks to help local governments swiftly implement actions to ensure Paris Agreement goals are met.
Through the One Planet Charter, cities will commit to specific climate action that drives investments, sustainable public procurement, and policy decisions in renewable energy, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and efforts for zero emission buildings and zero waste. The Charter highlights cities’ commitment to increase demand for sustainable and resilient infrastructure, products and services, while also recognizing the importance of working closely with national governments and business sectors to mobilise global climate action.
The Charter builds upon the achievements of the 23rd UN Climate Change Conference (COP23), in particular the Bonn-Fiji Commitment of Local and Regional Governments to Deliver the Paris Agreement At All Levels, as well as city networks’ successful procurement and sectoral initiatives efforts already underway through ICLEI’s Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement, Sustainable Procurement Initiative and 100% Renewable Energy Cities & Regions Campaign, as well as C40 Cities’ Fossil Fuel Free Streets. Furthermore, the One Planet Summit will build on the commitments made by over 50 mayors to the Chicago Climate Charter at the North American Climate Summit in Chicago earlier this month.
Cities will bring detailed commitments to the 2018 Global Action Summit in California.
“The One Planet Charter demonstrates that when cities and local leaders embrace the opportunities that come with transitioning to a low-carbon world, both their constituents and their local economies benefit,” said Christiana Figueres, Vice-Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors. “This Charter furthers the critical work cities committed to the Global Covenant of Mayors and the world’s global city networks are doing to further their momentum toward meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.”
“C40’s Deadline 2020 research revealed precisely what needs to be delivered by the cities of more than 100,000 citizens around the world, to deliver on the ambition of the Paris Agreement," said Paris Mayor, C40 Chair and Global Covenant of Mayors Board member Anne Hidalgo. "The decisions being made by mayors right now on investments for sustainable and resilient infrastructure will determine the future of generations to come. The One Planet Charter will make it easier to build the argument for bold climate action and investment in these crucial months and years ahead.”
“I am happy to see that the outcomes announced today will support the implementation of the Bonn-Fiji Commitment of Local and Regional Governments to Deliver the Paris Agreement at All Levels adopted at 23rd UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) in Bonn, Germany on 12 November 2018, " said Seoul Mayor, ICLEI President, Global Covenant of Mayors Board Member and Chair of the Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement Park Won Soon. "I encourage all Mayors to join this commitment campaign to mobilize the huge demand-side power of cities, and drive the market for sustainable infrastructure, products and services worldwide to accelerate climate action through ambitious GHG reduction targets and robust adaptation strategies.”
About C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group connects more than 90 of the world’s greatest cities, representing over 650 million people and one quarter of the global economy. Created and led by cities, C40 is focused on tackling climate change and driving urban action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, while increasing the health, wellbeing and economic opportunities of urban citizens. C40 Cities represent 650 million people and one-quarter of global GDP.
C40’s Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets Declaration was announced in October 2017 as a pledge by mayors to transform city streets to be clean and free from harmful emissions, in order to improve quality of life for citizens and help tackle the global threat of climate change. The declaration calls for mayors to commit to procuring only zero-emission buses from 2025, and commit to ensuring a major area of their city is zero emission by 2030, and identifies specific actions cities will take in support of these commitments. Twelve mayors have signed the declaration: Auckland – Barcelona – Cape Town – Copenhagen – London – Los Angeles – Milan – Paris – Quito – Seattle – Vancouver. In 2018 C40 will be launching a campaign aimed at encouraging cities to commit to 100% renewable energy.
About ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI)
ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability is the leading global network of more than 1,500 cities, towns and regions in 108 countries committed to building a sustainable future. By helping the ICLEI Network to become sustainable, low-carbon, ecomobile, resilient, biodiverse, resource-efficient, healthy and happy, with a green economy and smart infrastructure, we impact over 25% of the world’s urban population.
The Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement (GLCN), managed by ICLEI and chaired by the City of Seoul is a group of 14 cities committed to drive a transition to sustainable consumption and production by implementing sustainable and innovation procurement. All participating cities are setting ambitious quantified targets on sustainable procurement and are acting as regional ambassadors to lead to a resource efficient, low carbon and socially responsible society. – http://glcn-on-sp.org/
About The Bonn-Fiji Commitment of Local & Regional Leaders
At COP23, the Climate Summit of Local and Regional Leaders that was held on 12 November 2017 concluded with the adoption of the Bonn-Fiji Commitment of Local and Regional Leaders to Deliver the Paris Agreement at All Levels. This contains specific calls and proposals for enhancing NDCs aligned with this Call to Action. Adopted by more than 300 local and regional leaders from 60 countries, the Bonn-Fiji Commitment is listed among most important outcomes of COP23 and is marked as the highest level recognition of bottom-up efforts of Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency into the UNFCCC Process. http://www.cities-and-regions.org/bonn-fiji-commitment-at-cop23/
Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy
The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy formally brings together the Compact of Mayors and the EU Covenant of Mayors, the world’s two primary initiatives assisting cities and local governments in their transition to a low-carbon and climate resilient economy, and helping demonstrate their global impact. Led by UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, Michael R. Bloomberg, and European Commission Vice President, Maroš Šefčovič, in partnership with local, regional and global city networks, the Global Covenant has more than 7,400 city signatories across 6 continents and 119 countries, representing over 680 million people or nearly 10% of the global population. Learn more at: www.globalcovenantofmayors.org.
CONTACT:
Claudio Magliulo, ICLEI Media Liaison, + 49 228 976 299 15, claudio.magliulo@iclei.org