High-Level Week
12:15 - 13:30
| Event title | Cities and Regions – the pioneers for carbon neutral and resilient future |
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| Contents | The Paris Agreement entered into force and the role of local governments in the implementation of climate action is becoming important more than ever. Building on the success of the preceding Summits in Paris and Marrakech, the 3rd Climate Summit of Local and Regional Leaders will be convened at COP23 in Bonn on Sunday 12 November, focusing on key themes such as “multilevel governance to achieve nationally determined contributions,” “holistic approaches to sustainable development” and “community and business engagement.” |
| Keywords | Local government, cities and regions, carbon neutral, and resilient |
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Final Programme
Introduction (5 min):
- Prof. Hironori Hamanaka, Chair, ICLEI Japan (Moderator)
Review of the Climate Summit of Local and Regional Leaders (10 min):
- Takashi Otsuka, Director, ICLEI Japan
Message to COP23 and Climate Summit of Local and Regional Leaders (2 min):
- Yuriko Koike, Governor, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Japan
Presentations & Panel Discussion (25 min + 40 min):
City of Boulder: Climate and Energy Work
- Sam Weaver, Member of Boulder City Council, City of Boulder, Colorado, USA
Future City Toyama
- Toshiyuki Yamazoe, Senior Adviser for International Business Relations, Office of Strategic Planning and Resilience, City of Toyama, Japan
Towards a Smart Energy City
- Masahiro Kimura, Director of Planning, Climate Change and Energy Division, Bureau of Environment, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Japan
Sustainable Turku – Carbon-neutral City 2040
- Risto Veivo, Development Manager, Climate, Environment Policy and Sustainable Development of City Group, City of Turku, Finland
Closing by the Moderator (5 min)
Session Summary
The session began with opening remarks by Prof. Hamanaka explaining the objectives of the session, also emphasizing the increasing role of local governments in climate action.
This was followed by a presentation by Mr. Otsuka regarding the outcomes of the Climate Summit of Local and Regional Leaders, which took place on 12 November. For the first time, a summit of local and regional leaders was held on UNFCCC premises. More than 1,000 participants, including over 330 local and regional leaders took part in the event, resulting in the adoption of the Bonn-Fiji Commitment which conveys the dedication of cities and regions to the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Governor Koike (Tokyo), through her video message, reiterated the increasing importance of the role of cities, bearing in mind the recent 3 key international agreements, namely the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement and the New Urban Agenda. She expressed her commitment to work together with cities around world for combatting climate change and broader global environmental challenges.
Panelists representing local governments from Japan, Finland, and the United States shared their take-aways from the Summit as well as their local government’s climate actions.
Mr. Weaver (Boulder, CO) commented that one of the strongest messages he took away from the Summit was the significance of various stakeholders working together in order to achieve the Paris Agreement goals. In his presentation, Mr. Weaver shared Boulder’s ambitious climate and energy goal of achieving 100% renewable electricity supply by 2030, as well as the long-term strategies to make this a reality.
Mr. Yamazoe (Toyama) highlighted Toyama’s “Compact City” policy and its experience in advancing climate action in Indonesian cities through technology transfer. He commented that his major take-away from the Summit as well as COP23 was that the world is shifting from a period of “negotiation” to a period of “action,” emphasizing the need for close partnership among cities and stakeholders.
Mr. Kimura (Tokyo) shared the Tokyo Cap-and-Trade Scheme, emphasizing the need for an integrated approach to effectively achieve a decarbonized society. He also announced that Tokyo will become carbon-free for four days with donated credits from businesses during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Paralympic Games, showcasing their collaboration with the private sector. He commented that the enthusiasm for climate action was compelling at the Summit and that Tokyo looks forward to further collaborating with cities around the globe.
Mr. Veivo (Turku) shared Turku’s climate mitigation actions, such as renewable energy investments and sustainable urban mobility. Reflecting on the Summit, he commented that he would like to take home with him the sense of urgency to take action and the understanding of the true impacts of climate change in the most vulnerable parts of the world. Mitigation actions must be based on the understanding of this threat and to further advance actions, we need to build stronger partnerships than now with various stakeholders.
Key Messages
- Cities around the world have set ambitious climate goals (e.g. energy saving/ renewable energy, transport and buildings) and are committed to delivering the goals of the Paris Agreement.
- Collaboration and partnerships among various stakeholders is essential in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.
- Holistic and integrated approaches are critical to not only achieve climate change goals but also broader sustainable development goals.
Name and organisation of the person(s) who prepared the summary
Takashi Otsuka, Director, Japan Office, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
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