"Climate Dialogue" discusses the promotion of local climate mitigation during COP19

The project "Climate Dialogue" supported by the National Climate Initiative (NCI) aims at bringing together frontrunner countries in this policy field in order to discuss current challenges and potential solutions. A first workshop took place in Warsaw during the UNFCCC COP19.

Local governments are key actors in combating climate change. On the one hand, they can contribute massively to reducing GHG emissions by appropriately regulating their own operations. On the other hand, they may significantly influence their citizens’ quality of life through climate-friendly policy planning and implementation. As such, they operate as important role-models. During the last five years, the German Federal Government has established a comprehensive set of instruments promoting local climate mitigation. Under the framework of the so called “Kommunalrichtlinie” (Directive for Local Climate Mitigation) local governments can, for instance, receive funding for the development of a local climate action plan or the implementation of tangible mitigation measures. Moreover, funding is available for the employment of a climate manager working within the local administration. Additional services and targeted consultation in the form of trainings, networking events and publication are also financed by this directive. Elements of this set of instruments seem to have been established across a range of pioneer countries today. As a result, policy-makers jointly find themselves facing similar challenges now: How can stable and long-term funding and financing for local climate mitigation look like? How can we increase the number of small and rural municipalities taking climate action? What are success factors determining the inclusion of citizens or private businesses?

Causes and potential solutions behind those questions have been addressed during a workshop held as part of the project "Climate Dialogue". Practitioners from national, subnational and local governments, academia as well as network organizations came together in Warsaw on November 16, 2013 in order to present lessons learned from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, British Columbia in Canada, Italy, Georgia and South Africa. At the same time, this event presented the kick-off of an international workshop series. Throughout the next two years, knowledge exchange and networking in the field of local climate mitigation shall be facilitated through four more workshops. The huge emission saving potential of local governments is being increasingly acknowledged at the international level.

On November 21 2013, the first "Cities Day" had been organized as part of the COP19 in Warsaw. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon as well as UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres highlighted the fundamental importance of cities and municipalities in regard to climate change. Additionally, many local activists have had the chance to raise their voices and thus contributing to the international climate debate.