ICLEI @ COP 16: Local government advocacy paying off

Daily Reports

During the entire United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun (COP16), the Local Government Climate Roadmap delegation will provide a daily report at the end of each day.

Read the daily reports and watch the COP16 video briefings:

• Week 2

Day #11 - Friday, 10 December 2010

Day #10 - Thursday, 9 December 2010

Day #9 - Wednesday, 8 December 2010

Day #8 - Tuesday, 7 December 2010

Day #7 - Monday, 6 December 2010

• Week 1

Day #6 - Saturday, 4 December 2010

Day #5 - Friday, 3 December 2010

Day #4 - Thursday, 2 December 2010

Day #3 - Wednesday, 1 December 2010

Day #2 - Tuesday, 30 November 2010

Day #1 - Monday, 29 November 2010

Watch videos and read documents from ICLEI's COP 16 side event "Introducing global mechanisms for measurable, reportable, verifiable climate action" that took place on 3 December.

Read about local governments at COP16 in the media

Follow the LG delegation at COP16 at www.iclei.org/climate-roadmap

29 November - COP16 has started

Today the UN Climate Change Conference (COP16) kicks off in Cancún, Mexico, to continue the negotiations on long-term cooperation (AWG-LCA) and a subsequent, post-2012 commitment period to the Kyoto-Protocol (AWG-KP).

Expectations are low for a comprehensive and legally binding agreement. However, practical progress on specific packages concerning mitigation, mechanisms of the Kyoto-Protocol, deforestation (REDD), adaptation, capacity-building and finance are likely.

For the opening of the two-week series of sessions, the Local Government and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency, represented by ICLEI and UCLG, should be able to make four interventions. Access to the texts of the interventions, which are already prepared, can be accessed at these links:

• COP Opening (COP discusses the current status of the UNFCC Convention)
• COP/MOP Opening (COP/MOP discusses current issues under the Kyoto Protocol)
• 
  AWG-LCA Opening (AWG-LCA discusses the future of the UNFCCC)
• 
  AWG-KP Openig (AWG-KP discusses further commitments under the Kyoto Protocol) 

Marcelo Ebrard, Mayor of Mexico City, and Chair of the World Mayors Council on Climate Change, will demand recognition for local governments in the fight against climate change when he speaks at a high level panel at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP16).

Mayor Ebrard will also present the Mexico City Pact to world leaders during COP16. The Pact is the result of the World Mayors Summit on Climate, and contains commitments from 138 cities to set goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Pact is voluntary, but both the targets and the progress that city governments make in meeting them will be reported to the carbonn Cities Climate Registry.

Stay tuned to ICLEI's Local Government Climate Roadmap site for daily updates from COP 16.

26 November - LGs getting ready for COP16

What has happened...

• On 21 November 2010, ICLEI Member Mexico City hosted the World Mayors Summit on Climate (WMSC) just a week before COP16.

• The WMSC was convened by Mexico City in conjunction with the World Mayors Council on Climate Change (WMCCC), ICLEI, and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). Read a full report about the WMSC at ICLEI's Local Government Climate Roadmap site.

• The Global Cities Covenant on Climate (The Mexico City Pact) and the carbonn Cities Climate Registry (cCCR) are the most concrete outcomes of the WMSC and will be presented at COP 16.

• 138 cities have signed The Mexico City Pact which means they have committed to report emmissions through the cCCR.

• The cCCR has been reported extensively in the media-  have a look at some of the coverage here.

 What's to come...

• Marcelo Ebrard, Mayor of Mexico City and Chair of the World Mayors Council on Climate Change will speak at the opening of the High Level Segment at COP16 which begins on the morning of 7 December -- a unique opportunity to address the world's leaders about local government advocacy, the Mexico City Pact and the cCCR.
  
  
• Gino Van Begin, ICLEI's Deputy Secretary General, will coordinate local government advocacy at COP 16.  Daily bilateral meetings will focus on the need for nations to recognize and support local climate action in  UNFCCC negotiations. Follow daily live videos and reports on ICLEI's Local Government Climate Roadmap site: www.iclei.org/climate-roadmap
  
  
• The Local Government Delegation at COP16 is led by ICLEI President David Cadman and Vice President Martha Delgado and includes Executive Committe members Cathy Oke, Patrick Hays and Franklin Cownie.

• ICLEI will host a side event at COP 16: Introducing global mechanisms for measurable, reportable, verifiable local climate action, 3 December 2010 Friday, 20.15 – 21.45, Room Monarca

• Local leaders will also present latest positions with regard to UNFCCC/KP negotiations, paying specific attention to the fact that nations in Nagoya at UNCBD-COP10 recognized and supported local government action by adopting the "Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities on Biodiversity". The strong wish for a similar outcome at UNFCCC COP16 will be addressed.

• Visit the UNFCCC's COP 16 page here.

• Visit the COP 16 host country (Mexico) page here.

• The World Climate Summit is the official business conference running alongside the UNFCCC's COP16, in Cancun, Mexico. ICLEI is the exclusive local government partner, and a founding partner, of this Summit.