Local governments in Brazil get ready for COP 15 at Brazilian Forum on Climate Change in Brasília
6 October 2009, Brasília, Brazil
On 6 October 2009, Brazilian municipal leaders, groups and associations of local governments, gathered in Brasília during a sector dialogue. The main objective of the meeting was to discus local governments proposals to be forwarded to the Federal Government in contribution to Brazil's efforts to implement commitments under international agreements on climate change.
The meeting emphasized that the role of local governments is fundamental for the formulation of regional, national and international policies on climate change issues. Represented local authorities committed to adopt voluntary municipal goals to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. They equally agreed to negotiate with the relevant sectors of civil society and collaborate with the federal government to reduce rates of deforestation and forest degradation resulting from land use.
The participants of the event asked for the parties that will be present in COP 15 to recognize the important role that local governments play for the effectiveness of the struggle against climate change and in REDD mechanism. They pointed out that to be able to correspond to their role in these matters, it is necessary to guarantee their access to financial resources. Otherwise it will be very hard to ensure that administrative responsibilities are compatible with the skills and available resources.
The LG position adopted during the meeting will be sent to the National Government in order to formulate its position for the 15th Conference of the Parties - COP15, and will be included in LG Roadmap.
The meeting was organized by the Brazilian Forum on Climate Change (FBMC) and ICLEI LACS. It was part of the mobilization work of local governments and an important stage of the Roadmap strategy to COP 15.
For more information about Roadmap activities in Brazil, please click here.