This year’s UN Bonn Climate Conference placed a unique and high emphasis on cities and subnational governments paving the path to a carbon-neutral world. ICLEI was there to call on nations to look to cities and subnational governments for real climate action. With each climate action that we have showcased, nations were inspired to raise the level of their climate ambitions. With each opportunity that we have presented, we have asked nations to work with us.
It was very refreshing to see national government ministers from around the world coming to the climate conference and saying, “Cities and local governments are moving forward without us. Cities are acting without waiting”. Cities are indeed forging ahead and putting their vision into action and reporting these on the carbonn Cities Climate Registry, the largest international database of local climate action. More than 400 local and subnational governments serving to 12% of the world’s urban population are demonstrating trustworthiness by voluntarily reporting to the Registry. To learn more about the Registry, see the new report featured in the ICLEI newsletter below.
From petitioning their national governments to put words into the draft text agreement, cities are now in a place where they are able to drive an agenda. Cities are now in a position where they can tell nations to “come to us and work with us.” This change is happening. Invigorating. Irresistible. Persistent. Unstoppable. There is hope for our climate if we work together.
Newsletter #16 June 2014 – Content
An interview with Mayor Kinley Dorjee
What would you describe as Thimphu’s main achievements in the field of sustainability?
With regard to solid waste management, we are focusing on recycling our household wastes. The city of Thimphu has started supporting private individuals venturing into waste collection and segregation. In some parts of the city, the organic waste is being collected separately for composting into manure at the composting plant. Such initiative has generated employment as well as business opportunities for many and this is the area where we need to concentrate our ideas and actions to further protect our environment. Read more
Pitching for projects: finance opportunities at the Global Infrastructure Basel
The Urban-LEDS city of Belo Horizonte (Brazil) presented a project called “New Belo Horizonte” to prospective funders at the 4th edition of Global Infrastructure Basel, a summit on sustainable infrastructure financing, held at the City of Basel, Switzerland, on May 21-22, 2014. The project‘s main objective is to promote better utilization of existing local infrastructure, especially the transportation system. Read more
Asia to have its 1st Resilient Cities conference in 2015!
Resilient Cities Asia 2015: 1st Asian forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation, 11-13 February 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand promises to be the Asian platform for urban resilience and climate change adaptation, offering cities in the region a variety of innovative solutions and opportunities to the threats and challenges they are currently facing. Read more
More Local Action Stories
- Climate Change: Implications for Cities – Key Findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report (Cities Summary)
- On-ground work to help determine crucial issues and actions needed in Nashik
- New ISO standard launched for cities
- ICLEI and Gangwon Province to host Cities Biodiversities Summit at COP12
- Seoul City crowned 2014 National Earth Hour Capital of Korea
- Matale engages students to achieve a state of zero waste
Cities blaze the trail for a livable, carbon-neutral world
Cities and subnational governments have a prominent role in addressing climate change. A clarion call for their greater empowerment in a new climate agreement expected as an outcome of the Paris Conference of the Parties in 2015 was sounded at the recently concluded UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany. Read more
Seize opportunities of a new Urban World to ensure a life of dignity for all, says ICLEI
Welcoming the first United Nations Environment Assembly as a new player in the institutional framework for sustainable development, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability encourages government delegations and Ministers of Environment to reinvigorate bold policies and actions that will ensure responses to ecological, social and economic crisis respect planetary boundaries and engage with local and subnational governments as “governmental stakeholders” serving in urban areas that constitute more than half of world’s population. Read more
Greening Korea’s western coast and beyond
Overlooking the Sihwa lake and the West sea, the Sihwa observatory will soon be opened for public visit in June 2014. It is the latest amenity added to the Sihwa tidal power plant – the world’s largest tidal power station, which has begun its operation since 2011, providing clean and renewable energy to half a million households in South Korea’s Gyeonggi province. Read more
Asia-Pacific countries chart the way for an ambitious post-2015 development agenda
Emani Kumar, ICLEI Deputy Secretary General and ICLEI South Asia Executive Director, presented a clear and strong message for cities and the need for a standalone goal on Sustainable cities and human settlements at the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), speaking on behalf of local governments. Read more
Popular Stories
- ICLEI Secretary General Gino Van Begin keynotes ADB GrEEEn Cities Conference
- Global Protocol for Community-Scale GHG Emissions (GPC) to enter public reviewing phase
- New film captures how Asian cities are responding to climate change
- Renewables 2014 Global Status Report now out!
- EPA to Cut Emissions Limits for U.S. Power Plants
- Finding the Nexus: Climate adaptation and Planning
- ICLEI Canada launches adaptation library:
- Seoul engages in city-to-city exchanges at Resilient Cities congress
- Join the Earth Hour City Challenge 2014 – 2015!
ICLEI USA and Office Depot award 4 cities with $20,000
ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability- USA (ICLEI), and Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of office products, services, and solutions, today announced $20,000 in support to each of the four winning cities of the national Green Business Challenge. The money will fund each city’s respective Green Business Challenge implementation pack and builds on a successful five year public-private partnership between ICLEI and Office Depot. Read more
Network of Mayors and local elected officials provide policy recommendations for White House climate efforts
Members of President Obama’s State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience convened earlier today in Des Moines, IA, where they received a report of federal policy recommendations from a network of 170+ mayors and local officials. Read more
Climate action transparency key to trustworthiness
New carbonn Cities Climate Registry (cCCR) report reveals that global voluntary reporting of local climate action triggers trustworthiness, access to finance and citizen engagement. Read more
Local Leaders Champion Resilience Building
Making cities resilient to disaster and the impacts of climate change has undoubtedly become a responsibility of all local leaders. This became evident during deliberations by over 400 experts, and practitioners who convened for Resilient Cities 2014: The 5th Global Forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation in Bonn Germany. Read more
Upcoming Events/Announcements
- All India Environmental Journalism Competition 2014 now open!
- MobiPrize for Enterprising Cities and States
- Survey on community sustainability plans. Win $10!
- 30 June – 9 July, 2nd Meeting of the High Level Political Forum, New York, USA
- 14-15 July, First Preparatory Committee of the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, Geneva, Switzerland
- 15-18 July, Social UNFCCC PreCOP20 on local governments and youth, Margarita Island, Venezuela
- 15-18 September, 1st Preparatory Committee of HABITATIII, New York, USA
- 23 September, UN Climate Summit, New York, USA
- 12-14 October 2014, Biodiversity Summit for Cities and Subnational Governments at CBD COP12,Gangwon Province, Republic of Korea
-
23-24 October 2014, Local Renewables Conference 2014, Freiburg, Germany
This year’s UN Bonn Climate Conference placed a unique and high emphasis on cities and subnational governments paving the path to a carbon-neutral world. ICLEI was there to call on nations to look to cities and subnational governments for real climate action. With each climate action that we have showcased, nations were inspired to raise the level of their climate ambitions. With each opportunity that we have presented, we have asked nations to work with us.
It was very refreshing to see national government ministers from around the world coming to the climate conference and saying, “Cities and local governments are moving forward without us. Cities are acting without waiting”. Cities are indeed forging ahead and putting their vision into action and reporting these on the carbonn Cities Climate Registry, the largest international database of local climate action. More than 400 local and subnational governments serving to 12% of the world’s urban population are demonstrating trustworthiness by voluntarily reporting to the Registry. To learn more about the Registry, see the new report featured in the ICLEI newsletter below.
From petitioning their national governments to put words into the draft text agreement, cities are now in a place where they are able to drive an agenda. Cities are now in a position where they can tell nations to “come to us and work with us.” This change is happening. Invigorating. Irresistible. Persistent. Unstoppable. There is hope for our climate if we work together.
Newsletter #16 June 2014 – Content
An interview with Mayor Kinley Dorjee
What would you describe as Thimphu’s main achievements in the field of sustainability?
With regard to solid waste management, we are focusing on recycling our household wastes. The city of Thimphu has started supporting private individuals venturing into waste collection and segregation. In some parts of the city, the organic waste is being collected separately for composting into manure at the composting plant. Such initiative has generated employment as well as business opportunities for many and this is the area where we need to concentrate our ideas and actions to further protect our environment. Read more
Pitching for projects: finance opportunities at the Global Infrastructure Basel
The Urban-LEDS city of Belo Horizonte (Brazil) presented a project called “New Belo Horizonte” to prospective funders at the 4th edition of Global Infrastructure Basel, a summit on sustainable infrastructure financing, held at the City of Basel, Switzerland, on May 21-22, 2014. The project‘s main objective is to promote better utilization of existing local infrastructure, especially the transportation system. Read more
Asia to have its 1st Resilient Cities conference in 2015!
Resilient Cities Asia 2015: 1st Asian forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation, 11-13 February 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand promises to be the Asian platform for urban resilience and climate change adaptation, offering cities in the region a variety of innovative solutions and opportunities to the threats and challenges they are currently facing. Read more
More Local Action Stories
- Climate Change: Implications for Cities – Key Findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report (Cities Summary)
- On-ground work to help determine crucial issues and actions needed in Nashik
- New ISO standard launched for cities
- ICLEI and Gangwon Province to host Cities Biodiversities Summit at COP12
- Seoul City crowned 2014 National Earth Hour Capital of Korea
- Matale engages students to achieve a state of zero waste
Cities blaze the trail for a livable, carbon-neutral world
Cities and subnational governments have a prominent role in addressing climate change. A clarion call for their greater empowerment in a new climate agreement expected as an outcome of the Paris Conference of the Parties in 2015 was sounded at the recently concluded UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany. Read more
Seize opportunities of a new Urban World to ensure a life of dignity for all, says ICLEI
Welcoming the first United Nations Environment Assembly as a new player in the institutional framework for sustainable development, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability encourages government delegations and Ministers of Environment to reinvigorate bold policies and actions that will ensure responses to ecological, social and economic crisis respect planetary boundaries and engage with local and subnational governments as “governmental stakeholders” serving in urban areas that constitute more than half of world’s population. Read more
Greening Korea’s western coast and beyond
Overlooking the Sihwa lake and the West sea, the Sihwa observatory will soon be opened for public visit in June 2014. It is the latest amenity added to the Sihwa tidal power plant – the world’s largest tidal power station, which has begun its operation since 2011, providing clean and renewable energy to half a million households in South Korea’s Gyeonggi province. Read more
Asia-Pacific countries chart the way for an ambitious post-2015 development agenda
Emani Kumar, ICLEI Deputy Secretary General and ICLEI South Asia Executive Director, presented a clear and strong message for cities and the need for a standalone goal on Sustainable cities and human settlements at the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), speaking on behalf of local governments. Read more
Popular Stories
- ICLEI Secretary General Gino Van Begin keynotes ADB GrEEEn Cities Conference
- Global Protocol for Community-Scale GHG Emissions (GPC) to enter public reviewing phase
- New film captures how Asian cities are responding to climate change
- Renewables 2014 Global Status Report now out!
- EPA to Cut Emissions Limits for U.S. Power Plants
- Finding the Nexus: Climate adaptation and Planning
- ICLEI Canada launches adaptation library:
- Seoul engages in city-to-city exchanges at Resilient Cities congress
- Join the Earth Hour City Challenge 2014 – 2015!
ICLEI USA and Office Depot award 4 cities with $20,000
ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability- USA (ICLEI), and Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of office products, services, and solutions, today announced $20,000 in support to each of the four winning cities of the national Green Business Challenge. The money will fund each city’s respective Green Business Challenge implementation pack and builds on a successful five year public-private partnership between ICLEI and Office Depot. Read more
Network of Mayors and local elected officials provide policy recommendations for White House climate efforts
Members of President Obama’s State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience convened earlier today in Des Moines, IA, where they received a report of federal policy recommendations from a network of 170+ mayors and local officials. Read more
Climate action transparency key to trustworthiness
New carbonn Cities Climate Registry (cCCR) report reveals that global voluntary reporting of local climate action triggers trustworthiness, access to finance and citizen engagement. Read more
Local Leaders Champion Resilience Building
Making cities resilient to disaster and the impacts of climate change has undoubtedly become a responsibility of all local leaders. This became evident during deliberations by over 400 experts, and practitioners who convened for Resilient Cities 2014: The 5th Global Forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation in Bonn Germany. Read more
Upcoming Events/Announcements
- All India Environmental Journalism Competition 2014 now open!
- MobiPrize for Enterprising Cities and States
- Survey on community sustainability plans. Win $10!
- 30 June – 9 July, 2nd Meeting of the High Level Political Forum, New York, USA
- 14-15 July, First Preparatory Committee of the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, Geneva, Switzerland
- 15-18 July, Social UNFCCC PreCOP20 on local governments and youth, Margarita Island, Venezuela
- 15-18 September, 1st Preparatory Committee of HABITATIII, New York, USA
- 23 September, UN Climate Summit, New York, USA
- 12-14 October 2014, Biodiversity Summit for Cities and Subnational Governments at CBD COP12,Gangwon Province, Republic of Korea
- 23-24 October 2014, Local Renewables Conference 2014, Freiburg, Germany