One of the most unique features of the Paris Agreement is perhaps represented by the preamble paragraph itself: “Recognizing the importance of the engagements of all levels of government and various actors, in accordance with respective national legislations of Parties, in addressing climate change.”
However, none of the first national climate plans (formally known as Nationally Determined Contributions – NDCs) fulfill this requirement, since they were all prepared before the Paris Agreement was adopted. Submitting revised NDCs before the upcoming UN Climate Conference (COP26) can enhance national governments’ active collaboration with local and regional governments in delivering national plans and raising their ambitions.
This is why ICLEI joined forces with NDC Partnership in September 2019 through the Climate Action Enhancement Package (CAEP). Through the CAEP, the NDC Partnership is delivering targeted, fast-track support to countries to enhance the quality, increase the ambition, and implement their NDCs, as part of the 2020 update process ahead of COP26 in Glasgow. The CAEP currently works with more than 50 national governments in the Global South, with more than half of them having reportedly incorporated an engagement element for subnational governments.
ICLEI takes on a key role in seven of these countries – the Dominican Republic, Peru, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Gambia and Mozambique – by actively engaging at the local and regional level through training of public servants on climate policies, climate assessment and climate reporting and finally by supporting their dialogue with national governments.
In the Dominican Republic, the ICLEI Mexico, Central America and Caribbean Secretariat successfully trained nine municipalities on climate finance and policies, as well as supporting them through capacity-building initiatives aimed at designing ambitious climate projects. Through such engagements, these local governments are now able to better attract and access financial resources for their low-emission and climate-resilient projects, as well as contributing to the goals of their federal NDC.
Continued at source and nonetheless this is a very interesting site…
empowerment & inner transformation... 