In order to reaffirm the commitment of the Ecuadorian municipal community to the fight against climate change, the Association of Ecuadorian Municipalities (AME), together with the Ministry of Environment and Water, the Municipality of Quito, and WWF Ecuador, presented an event titled “Promotion of the GCoM initiative to Ecuadorian municipalities and dissemination of the Annual Strategy of National Coordinators of the Cities Network for Latin America and the Caribbean.”
The global alliance brings together more than 10,000 cities from 135 countries on 6 continents and aligns with the objectives and goals outlined in the Paris Agreement (2015), an international instrument that guides necessary national and local actions to keep the temperature increase below 1.5°C, relative to the pre-industrial era. Ecuador reaffirmed its commitment to the Paris Agreement and, in March 2019, presented its first Nationally Determined Contribution before the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Luis Mario Barsallo, Executive Director of AME
Luis Mario Barsallo, the Executive Director of AME, who initiated the dialogue on the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, emphasized the significance of environmental management for the municipal community, enabling the creation of long-term management models for the benefit of citizens. “Ecuadorian municipalities come together to accelerate climate and energy initiatives that lead to an inclusive, low-emission, and climate-resilient future. AME is the body that brings together the country’s 221 municipalities and acts as the National Coordinator of the Covenant in Ecuador,” he stated.
The Annual Strategy of National Coordinators – City Networks 2019-2020 refers to the agreed and deliberated actions of the National Coordinator, AME, and the National Advisory Committee of Ecuador, composed of the Ministry of Environment and Water, the Environment Secretariat of Quito, and WWF Ecuador. Its objective is to support cities and local authorities in committing to climate action.
Pedro Ponce, EU Projects Officer, highlighted the participation of authorities and representatives from municipalities in the country, emphasizing the importance of consolidating efforts at the local level. He stressed that working from local governments is more important than ever, as the impact of these aspects is initially evident at the territorial level. The European Union in Ecuador is making efforts to reach the local level, contributing to climate change-related aspects by funding provincial climate change strategies with AME and other organizations representing local governments.
First Step
During the event, the municipalities of Ambato, Ibarra, Lago Agrio, Manta, and Santa Cruz signed a letter of intent, expressing their willingness to be part of the Global Covenant of Mayors, constituting the first step in this process. Experiences of the municipalities of Quito, Cuenca, and Portoviejo, cities already involved in this initiative, were presented. Diego Enríquez, Climate Change Coordinator at the Environment Secretariat of Quito, mentioned that this initiative has greatly helped in consolidating policies and decisions that authorities need to make regarding climate change and sustainable development. It requires political will, and municipalities are the ones aligning development lines over time, depending greatly on their capacities.
Marja Edelman, from the regional secretariat for Latin America and the Caribbean of the GCoM, commented that efforts are being made to secure financing for local climate change actions, supporting the search for international funds so that municipalities can implement their initiatives. She also invited participating municipalities to learn more about the benefits of being part of the Global Covenant.
In the closing remarks, Humberto Re, Subsecretary of Climate Change, mentioned that territorializing actions would enable the transformation to combat climate change. He expressed support for including climate change actions in municipal Development Plans and land-use planning to create more resilient cities that reduce vulnerability and adapt more effectively to different future climate scenarios by 2050 or 2100.
