Recently, at the World Summit Climate & Territories (WSCT) in Lyon, France, subnational and local governments and other non-state actors gathered to voice their most pressing concerns and priorities for global climate action. The event served as an international gathering for climate change leaders to set the agenda for the Paris Climate Conference, COP21, happening in December 2015.
Below are some memorable photos from the event:
C40 Board President and UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, Mike Bloomberg, giving the opening remarks at the WSCT. In his address, he invited all cities to commit to the Compact of Mayors.
The audience on the first day of the World Summit Climate & Territories, which featured an opening session with Jean-Jack Queyranne, President of the Rhône-Alpes Region; Mike Bloomberg; and Annick Girardin, French Secretary of State for Development and Francophonie, as well as a keynote speech by Janos Pasztor, Assistant UN Secretary-General on Climate Change.
Newly elected Mayor of Geneva, Esther Alder; Mayor of Lyon, Gérard Collomb; Premier of South Australia, Jay Weatherill; Mayor of Dakar, Khalifa Sall and others on a panel discussing the pivotal role of local elected officials in fighting climate change. The role of city governments has never been more important in the effort to curtail the harmful effects of climate change.
Mayor of Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in Montreal, Réal Ménard, talking about sustainability initiatives and the importance of cities’ commitment to the Compact of Mayors.
C40 Executive Director Mark Watts, and ICLEI’s Secretary General Gino Van Begin briefed the press on the potential impact of the Compact of Mayors on the Road to Paris. The number of cities who have joined the Compact of Mayors will be announced at COP21. In talking about the need for the Compact, Watts said, “unless we get off of a high-carbon development path, cities will account for 50 percent of all carbon emissions.”
Event host and Mayor of Lyon Gérard Collomb, discussed the effects of climate change on the local economies around the world.
Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convension on Climate Change (UNFCCC): “"We are moving toward a low-carbon, high-growth society”
On June 30, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and C40 Board Chair and C40 Board President and UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change Michael R. Bloomberg announced that they will co-chair the Climate Summit for Local Leaders during COP21. Mayor Hidalgo spoke about Paris’ leadership in climate action and commitment to the Compact of Mayors.
To learn more about the Compact of Mayors and how to join the coalition, click here.