The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) was officially launched on Thursday (27) for the Central America region at the Park Inn Hotel in San José, Costa Rica. The event had the participation of more than 100 authorities and leaders from different sectors, including local governments, municipal associations, and representatives of the national government. The initiative, part of the International Urban Cooperation Program in Latin America and the Caribbean (IUC-LAC) funded by the European Union, has had a successful track record in the Latin America region since 2017. The Covenant is the world’s largest coalition of local authorities committed to combating climate change, reducing its impacts, and facilitating access to sustainable and affordable energy.
The IUC-LAC Program, the Confederation of Associations of Municipalities of Central America and the Caribbean (CAMCAYCA), and the National Union of Local Governments (UNGL) of Costa Rica jointly organized the event.
During the launch, the presence of the First Lady of the Republic of Costa Rica, Claudia Dobles Camargo, the Ambassador of the European Union in Costa Rica, Antonia Calvo Puerta, the Director of the IUC-LAC Program, Claudio Acioly, and representatives of the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica were highlighted by the Executive President of the Institute for Municipal Development and Consultancy of Costa Rica, Marcela Guerrero Campos, the President of the Confederation of Associations of Municipalities of Central America and the Caribbean, Juan Pablo Barquero, and the Executive Director of the National Union of Local Governments, Karen Porras Arguedas. Additionally, mayors from 30 municipalities in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, and the Dominican Republic attended the event.
In addition to the launch of the Global Covenant of Mayors in the region, the first meeting of its Regional Advisory Committee took place. Led by CAMCAYCA, currently chaired by UNGL, experiences were shared regarding the work strategies for implementing the objectives of the Global Covenant of Mayors that have already been carried out in Costa Rica. Technical representatives from municipalities and experts from the National Emergency Commission (CNE), the Ministry of Planning (MIDEPLAN), UNGL, and the National University (UNA) gathered to validate a national portfolio of adaptation measures at the local level, as part of the activities of the Global Covenant of Mayors in Costa Rica.
During the first day, the director of the IUC-LAC Program presented the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in Latin America. Subsequently, national strategies to reduce the effects of climate change and the role of the Latin American Federation of Cities, Municipalities, and Local Government Associations (FLACMA) were presented. After lunch, the Country Program for Cantonal Carbon Neutrality in Costa Rica was introduced, along with the experiences of Costa Rican municipalities that signed the Global Covenant of Mayors in San Jose, La Union, and San Rafael. The most significant moment of the day occurred when local authorities from Costa Rica and Central America, along with members of the Regional Committee of Central America, signed the letter of adherence to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.
During the second day of the event, on Friday, the 28th, the first session of the Central American Advisory Committee took place, chaired by CAMCAYCA, in conjunction with the event organization. The strategy to increase the commitment of local governments to climate action and adherence to the Global Covenant in Central America, as well as the communication mechanisms of the Global Covenant of Mayors platform, were the first items on the agenda. Meanwhile, Costa Rican participants conducted the initial review of municipal adaptation measures to climate change.
The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in Costa Rica took its first steps with the creation of a National Advisory Committee, a working group that channels technical assistance from the International Urban Cooperation Program in Latin America (IUC-LAC) and supports national municipalities in fulfilling their commitments and monitoring their progress. In February 2019, a national working strategy for the Global Covenant of Mayors was approved, and its implementation began under the coordination of UNGL in September 2019, a few months before the official launch of the Global Covenant of Mayors. Costa Rica has had six signatories since 2019.
As part of the strategy, coordination with the Directorate of Climate Change (DCC) was undertaken to make the portfolio of measures an integral part of the strategic vision of the National Decarbonization Plan. Municipalities across the country were visited to gather expertise in the adaptation efforts of local governments.
