On December 1, during the C40 Cities Mayors Summit, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, Michael R. Bloomberg, and Vice President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, announced the global mayoral board leadership for the newly created Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy. The appointed city-led board of the Global Covenant of Mayors includes:
• Mayor Kasim Reed (Atlanta, USA)
• Mayor Patricia De Lille (Cape Town, South Africa)
• Mayor Mohamed Sefiani (Chefchaouen, Morocco)
• Mayor Anne Hidalgo (Paris, France)
• Mayor Mauricio Rodas (Quito, Ecuador)
• Mayor Jaiman Upadhyay (Rajkot, India)
• Mayor Park Won-soon (Seoul, South Korea)
• Mayor Tri Rismaharini (Surabaya, Indonesia)
• Mayor Gregor Robertson (Vancouver, Canada)
Global Covenant of Mayors cities are already demonstrating their collective impact on a global scale by taking action to mitigate and adapt to climate change while tracking their progress transparently. Through the voluntary commitments they have already made, the potential of existing commitments for Global Covenant of Mayors cities under the Compact of Mayors and the EU Covenant of Mayors are significant:
•Under the Compact of Mayors, 596 commitments made by Compact cities are equivalent to reductions of nearly one billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually by 2030 or 11.6 billion cumulative tons between 2010 and 2030. This represents 26 percent of what we know is possible globally through direct city action through action by these 600 cities alone.
•The over 6,000 commitments under the EU’s Covenant of Mayors are projected to have an overall estimated reduction of 240 Mt C02e i.e. 27 percent by 2020. These emissions reductions from Covenant cities may represent approximately 31 percent of the overall EU28 GHG emission reduction target by 2020 compared to 2005. With a reduction of 23 percent achieved already in 2014, the Covenant cities are well on pace to reach this goal.
Mayor Jaiman Upadhyay of Rajkot city in India announced he will join the board of the city-led Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy – the-soon-to-be launched largest coalition of over 7,100 cities committed to climate change – working to advance climate action both here in Rajkot and around the globe. In this role, Mayor Upadhyay will work to galvanize city climate work across Southwest Asia, set the strategic direction of the coalition and work to elevate the voice and role of cites on the global stage. Mayor Upadhyay’s role on the board of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy is a strong acknowledgement of the work being done in Rajkot.
“I’m proud to join the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy as a member of the board during this critical time for city climate action. Rajkot has made strong contributions towards building a low-carbon future, working to set carbon reduction targets and implementing changes that are necessary forces to propel the world towards reaching the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. We know that cities are stronger when we work together, and our collaboration through the Global Covenant of Mayors can demonstrate our impact and give us an even greater platform from which to advocate for greater support from our national and local governments,” said the Mayor.
“As cities committed to the Compact of Mayors and Covenant of Mayors, we’ve demonstrated the potential to reduce emissions on a global scale and accelerate progress. As a representative for the citizens and cities of Southwest Asia, I will work with the Global Covenant of Mayors leadership to set the course for future climate action and ensure that local communities have a seat at the table and the support they need. Now more than ever, local voices must be heard, and it is up to this coalition to unlock the full potential of city action to secure a sustainable urban future for all,” he added.
UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change and Co-Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy Michael R. Bloomberg said, “We’re excited to welcome an extraordinary group of mayors to the Global Covenant board and to have Christiana Figueres – who has long been a strong voice for cities – serving as vice-chair,” said “The leadership of cities is more important than ever in the fight against climate change. This group’s diverse experience from cities on every continent will help support local action and speed global progress.”
Low emission development
