Durban Local Government Convention
2-4 December
eThekwini City Hall, Durban, South Africa

Over 700 local government representatives from across the world gathered at the Durban LG Convention 'Adapting to a changing climate - towards COP17/CMP7 and beyond' from 2-4 December, 2011 in Durban, South Africa. There, 114 mayors from 28 countries adopted the historic Durban Adaptation Charter, which addresses adaptation and resilience issues at the local level.

Have a look at the LG Press Conference from 5 December 2011 for presentation of the Durban Adaptation Charter.

 

 

View the photo gallery

Have a look at our media coverage 

View our press release of 5 December

Highlights of the LG Convention

2 pm, 4 December 2011

114 mayors from 28 countries around the world adopted the Durban Climate Change Adaptation Charter, underlining their commitment for strengthening local resilience to climate change.

By signing the Charter, local governments have committed to unprecedented levels of local climate action to:

  • mainstream adaptation as a key informant of all local government development planning
  • ensure that adaptation strategies are aligned with mitigation strategies
  • promote the use of adaptation that recognizes the needs of vulnerable communities and ensure sustainable local economic development
  • prioritize the role of functioning ecosystems as core municipal green infrastructure
  • seek innovative funding mechanisms, etc.

The mayors will present the Charter to the COP17 negotiators, with a plea to take the role of local governments more seriously.

Read the press release or download the Durban Adaptation Charter.

 

5 pm, 3 December 2011

The second day of the convention zoomed in on the African region, and its perspectives for adaptation. Food security and conservation were the buzzwords in today's break away sessions.

A major concern for Mayors in the South is the disconnect between the existing climate policies with the general conditions of poverty. For the new climate regime to be relevant, it must take into account issues that most local authorities are dealing with, i.e. poverty, lack of infrastructure, lack of funding resources, water scarcity, etc.


3 pm, 2 December 2011

Convention delegates break up in small groups where they discuss key climate science perspectives (risks, impacts and vulnerabilities) for the developing world.

During this break away session, they also examined the meaning of adaptation in a local context and concluded the criticality of the adaptation agenda.


12 nn, 2 December 2011

The Durban LG Convention kicks off today, gathering 700  delegates from local government and municipal associations, including more than 100 Mayors. 

During the opening plenary, the pivotal role of local governments in addressing the climate change challenge was reiterated by keynote speakers Durban Mayor James Nxumalo, Mangaung Mayor Thabo Manyoni, South Africa President Jacob Zuma and ICLEI President David Cadman.