ICLEI Europe holds their Climate Roadmap Regional Summit

2009/06/09

The Local Government Climate Change Leadership Summit, the ICLEI European regional Climate Roadmap meeting was held from the 2 - 4 June 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The purpose of the Summit was to develop a draft a response to the negotiating text of the Working Group on long term cooperative action. This negotiating text contains 5 main chapters (shared vision, adaptation, mitigation, technology and access to finance).

Gino van Begin, the Director of ICLEI Europe, gives a brief overview of the negotiating text:

“In the adaptation chapter, reference is made to “local level”. Therefore, our advocacy is oriented towards keeping that reference in. In the mitigation, technology and access to finance chapters, there is yet no reference to local level. In these instances, our advocacy work is oriented towards including reference to local level. Finally, it is clear that our efforts must be very strongly focussed on local governments’ access to finance and technology. This we will address with all future delegations.”

Following the Summit, the ICLEI European Secretariat has begun follow up advocacy work throughout Europe. They have received political support from the Vice-mayors of Copenhagen and Nantes. They will then continue their efforts in Norway, Denmark, Australia, Senegal, Uruguay, Algeria, Mexico, India, Brazil and the USA.

The negotiating text that was a product of the Summit can be downloaded from the Climate Roadmap website.