The number of cities committing to fight climate change is rising, and so does the level of their climate ambition. Many cities are now setting bolder targets of slashing 40, 70, 100 per cent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 and improving climate change resilience. Collectively, they will be crucial in delivering substantial cuts in global GHG emissions and ensuring the safety of their citizens, infrastructure and environment. This is the key message that ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) brought to the Climate Summit 2014. Partnering in eight bold initiatives to step up, scale up, and speed up local climate action, ICLEI is highly committed to their combined success.

ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability is a powerful movement over 1000 cities dedicated to sustainable development, representing some 660 million citizens in 88 countries. Bringing the voice of its members to the summit, ICLEI is promoting and engaging in eight pioneering initiatives: Compact of Mayors, City Climate Finance Alliance, CCAC Municipal Solid Waste Initiative, Resilient Cities Accelerator Initiative, Carbon Pricing, Buildings Efficiency Accelerator Initiative, District Energy Accelerator Initiative, and Urban Electric Mobility Vehicles.

Launched at the Summit, the Compact of Mayors is a particular highlight – the result of an unprecedented international collaboration between city networks and supporters. It is the largest effort by cities to slash community-level GHG emissions, report their progress, and prepare for the impacts of climate change. In partnership with C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) and the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), ICLEI will invite cities and local governments to report their climate commitments and GHG inventories using a standardized measurement system that is compatible with international practices – the soon-to-be-adopted Global Protocol on Community-scale GHG Emissions (GPC). Further, reporting on mitigation and adaptation actions should continue, helping to identify good and great practice.

"The Compact is more than a new political commitment. It is an additional locomotive to speed up and scale up transformational climate actions that the world urgently needs right now”, said Juergen Nimptsch, Mayor of Bonn and a leader in ICLEI mayors network. “ICLEI’s network of cities is already pledging 40, 70, 100 percent GHG emissions reductions by 2050. We hope to inspire other cities to do the same and invite them to join the Compact to further accelerate these efforts.”

Under the Compact, local emissions data will be collected through existing city platforms, including partner platform CDP Cities, and will be made publically available through ICLEI’s platform, the carbonn Climate Registry. Together, city networks will engage thousands of cities to join the Compact of Mayors and to register their GHG inventories, climate adaptation and mitigation plans and targets. The Compact also supports a new consistent method for collecting and publishing city-level greenhouse gas data – the Global Protocol on Community-scale GHG Emissions (GPC). Cities reporting through the Compact will be using the GPC to ensure the consistency, credibility and quality of their local emissions data.

A powerful symbol of unity among the world’s cities, the Compact is not just a huge step forward for cities, but also for nations. Importantly, it not only demonstrates cities’ commitment to helping nations set more ambitious, transparent and credible climate targets, but also will encourage nations to recognize local commitments; establish better policies; and direct resources to cities to limit any further increase in global warming.

Read the Compact here. 

For more information on ICLEI at the UN Climate Summit, visit:

http://talkofthecities.iclei.org/