Monday, 4 October 2021
17:30 – 18:30 CEST (15:30 – 16:30 UTC)
According to the Climate Emergency Declaration and Mobilisation in Action (CEDAMIA) initiative, as of June 2021, 2000 local governments in 34 countries have declared a climate emergency.
In addition, through the Race-to-Zero and Race-to-Resilience initiatives led by the UNFCCC High Level Climate Action Champions, hundreds of cities, towns and regions are now committing to climate neutrality and climate resilience towards 2050, including setting ambitious midterm targets to be met by 2030. Day one of Daring Cities 2021 will put an emphasis on the necessity to act and lead by example. As 4 October is World Habitat Day, the sessions are also designed as a means to contribute to the day’s chosen theme of “Accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world” and its particular focus on the Race-to-Zero.
This session will share exemplary cases of regional leaders who have not only declared a climate emergency, but are also rapidly advancing on 2030 targets towards climate neutrality by 2050, with innovative practices on integrating nature-based solutions and building on their experiences dealing with the COVID-19 emergency. The need, importance, and benefits of building partnerships within communities will also be highlighted.
Run of Show
- Welcome & Introduction
- Fireside Chat: Inclusive urban governance for climate emergency
- States and regions leading toward net-zero targets
- Concluding Remarks
- Wrap-up and overview of following sessions
Speakers
- Angie Fyfe, Executive Director, ICLEI US
- Dr Philipp Rode, Executive Director, LSE Cities, Associate Professorial Research Fellow, The London School of Economics and Political Science
- John Bel Edwards, Governor, State of Louisiana, USA (tbc)
- Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Scottish Government, United Kingdom (tbc)
- Geraldo Júlio de Mello Filho, State Secretary, State of Pernambuco, Brazil
- Gonzalo Muñoz, High-Level Climate Action Champion, Chile