The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in Latin America (GCoM-LAC) has been launched in Chile during the third Mayors Forum on Climate Change Chile-2017, organized by the Chilean Network of Municipalities on Climate Change and Adapt-Chile. On the occasion, which took place on November 30th in Santiago, the National Steering Committee of the Covenant in Chile was introduced. The representative of the Covenant, Manuel Fuentes, participated in the discussion on the role of local governments from an international perspective.
Local and national authorities, representatives from international partners, and other segments of civil society participated in the event. Stella Zervoudaki, the Ambassador of the European Union in Chile, stated that around the world, local leaders are taking action to address climate change. She emphasized, “They can count on the support of Europe as an ally in this global fight against climate change.”
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who was also present at the opening of the forum, expressed that achieving global climate action requires the development of local climate action through a collaborative effort between local, national, and international levels. She asserted that “sustainable and inclusive development – which we must insist on – depends on the strength of three pillars: the government, from central to local; businesses, with responsible and innovative ventures; and citizens, with their organizational capacity and voice to be at the center of all deliberation.”
The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy is in the process of expanding in Latin America through a regional secretariat and national partners to engage more municipalities committed to the initiative. With this launch, Chile joins Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia as one of the countries in the region to be part of the Covenant. Moving forward, GCoM-LAC in Chile will carry out activities to involve cities and support them in developing their own local action plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the local level.
(With information and photos from EUDChile, Min. de Medio Ambiente, and REDMUNICC)
