Local authorities will have a vital role to play in implementing actions on climate change, according to the European Union’s (EU) political mandate for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen.
The EU heads of state and governments have now reached a political agreement on the responsibilities that local authorities will have in future.
Co-chairmen of Eurocities’ working group on climate change and energy, Ronan Dantec and Klaus Bondam, will now advocate for the interests of local authorities during the official negotiations in Copenhagen.
‘Until today, local authorities were not officially seen as a strong partner in the fight against climate change. ‘We are satisfied that member states have reached a political agreement, which recognises that cities can make a difference. Global challenges require local actions. And we are ready to show how,’ the pair said in a statement.
Over the course of the past year, Eurocities has been working with networks of local authorities and associations on the Continent to press for such recognition.The body feels real progress cannot be made by national governments alone, and local-decision makers’ roles and commitments must be taken seriously.
The Local Government Association’s (LGA) manifesto for building low-carbon communities called on the Government to empower councils with the adequate framework and resources to deliver on their responsibility to cut emissions and adapt to climate change at a local level.
The LGA called for funding streams to be simplified into a single community energy action fund of £7bn, which councils could bid into to undertake area-based programmes to improve efficiency.
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