The Fourth Municipal Leaders Summit is one in a series of climate change events organized by ICLEI for an international group of municipal leaders. It took place on the occassion of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Summit is part of a legacy of local action initiatives that are aiming to improve cities and communities worldwide.

Local governments have pro-actively supported the implementation of UNFCCC from the very beginning. Below is a listing of former ICLEI climate-focused events where local governments have been able to voice their concerns, address problems in their communities, share best practices among their international colleagues and take a stand on climate change issues.

ICLEI and the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign – CCP, had a significant participation at the 10ª Conference of the Parties that took place in Buenos Aires in December 2005. Besides the “CDM opportunities for Local Governments” seminar and the VII CCP-LACS Workshop, both organized by the LACS Office, many other activities were developed to highlight and raise awareness on the role of local governments in fighting global warming.

On December 13, the Mayor of Buenos Aires, Aníbal Ibarra, signed a declaration with mayors and officials from Barcelona, Spain, Salt Lake City, USA, Milano, Italy, Palmas, Brazil and Abbosford, Canada. In the document, the mayors “call on the Parties to the UNFCCC to recognize the key role of local Governments in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and urge the Parties to channell resources to projects that operate at the local level”.

The mayors urged “national governments, financial institutions, the private sector and civil society to bolster our efforts by mobilizing resources and channeling investment to projects that can truly make a difference: projects that operate at the local level and in requesting assistance, we ask delegates to COP-10 to remember that local government is separate and distinct from national governments and nongovernment organizations”.

In his statement Buenos Aires Mayor Aníbal Ibarra declared that “national governments must assume commitments and define policies, but none of these policies will be viable without the commitment of the cities”.

For more information on the participation of Local Governments in COP 10, please click here Information is available in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

Click here for the event report in Climate Connection (English 845KB)
Click here for the event report in Conxao Clima (Portuguese 842KB)
Click here for the event report in Conexion Clima (Spanish 844KB)

On 24 - 26 October 1995, Saitama Prefecture and ICLEI, in collaboration with the Environment Agency of Japan, hosted the "Third Local Government Leaders' Summit on Climate Change," gathering 202 local governments from 55 countries worldwide to discuss the imminent problem of global warming, and mobilize local action for climate protection. The Saitama Summit was particularly significant as it was ICLEI's first gathering in the rapidly industrializing and urbanizing Asian region.

Summit participants exchanged information on innovative municipal programs, engaged in discussions on the role of local governments in climate protection, and adopted the Local Government Leaders' Declaration on Climate Change. The Declaration called for the launch of the "Asian Cities for Climate Protection Campaign" to encourage local governments in the Asian region to create local action plans for climate protection, and supported proposals from Saitama Prefecture to create a center for the collection and distribution of information and a "World Environment Prize."

The first day of the Summit, held as an open "International Forum,"was attended by over 2,200 participants including the representatives of invited local governments and members of the general public. Opening Addresses were given by Mr. Yoshihiko Tsuchiya, Governor of Saitama Prefecture, Ms. Yasu Kano, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Environment Agency of Japan, with special words of welcome from His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino of the Japanese Royal Family.

Former President of Costa Rica and 1987 Nobel Peace Laureate Mr. Oscar Arias Sanchez gave the Commemorative Address entitled, "Peace, Development, and the Environment: We Can Make a Difference," and was followed by Tohoku University President Prof. Junichi Nishizawa's Keynote Address on "Global Warming, Lifestyles, and Social Reform."

As of the Saitama Summit, 117 local governments worldwide had been members of the Campaign. On the occasion of the Third Summit, a CCP Campaign Signing Ceremony was held, and a total of 49 local governments - including 18 from the Asian region - pledged to join the CCP Campaign as new members.

Please click here to download the Declaration [PDF 52]

The Second Municipal Leaders Summit on Climate Change was held concurrently with the First Conference of the Parties in Berlin in March 1995. UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Michael Zammit Cutajar; IPCC Chair, Bert Bolin; INC Chair, Raúl Estrada Oyela; CSD Chair, Klaus Töpfer and others participated actively in the event - as did leaders from 160 cities worldwide. The Second Summit was organized by ICLEI and sponsored by the German Federal Government and the Berlin State Government.

Please click here to download the Declaration [PDF 90KB]

One year after the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, ICLEI convened mayors and urban decision-makers from every continent for the First Municipal Leaders Summit on Climate Change at the UN Headquarters in New York. At this event the international Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Campaign was launched. Today 650 local governments worldwide participate in this campaign; these account for about 15% of the global anthropogenic CO2 emissions.

Please click here to download the Declaration [PDF 39KB]