March 13, 2023. San Martín de los Andes, Argentina. Eleven new Argentinian cities have joined the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) Americas, demonstrating their voluntary commitment to fighting climate change and the importance of networked efforts to implement concrete solutions. In Argentina, the average temperature is expected to increase by 1.5°C to 2.5°C by 2050 and by 2.5°C to 4°C by 2100, according to a report by the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development of Argentina. The rise in temperature already has significant impacts, such as accelerated glacier melt in Patagonia, reduced water availability in some regions, and intensified droughts and floods.

The adhesion of these cities is a clear demonstration of the leadership of local governments in the fight against climate change and their commitment to implementing concrete solutions. The signing took place during the 5th Assembly of Mayors of the Argentine Network of Municipalities Facing Climate Change (RAMCC), held in San Martín de los Andes on March 3 and 4.

The municipality of Basavilbaso is working on implementing sustainable technologies and practices to reduce its carbon footprint. Some of these actions include installing solar panels in municipal buildings and promoting sustainable agricultural practices in the municipality’s rural area. Mayor Mario Hernán Besel highlighted his interest in being part of the GCoM alliance, stating, “It is a pride and an honor to be signing our incorporation.”

The Mayor of El Trébol, Natalia Sánchez, also emphasized the importance of networked work, cooperation, and sharing experiences with other cities. “We will add, we will bring passion. We have many of these mayors who give us strength so that the results are much more positive,” reflected Sánchez. El Trébol is already implementing an urban solid waste management plan to reduce waste generation and increase recycling rates. Additionally, it is promoting the use of public transport and bicycles as alternatives to private vehicles.

Aware of the challenges, some cities, such as General San Martín, are already working on climate projects and have seen the benefits of international cooperation in the fight against climate change. The municipality has three projects funded by the European Union through the European Investment Bank. Mayor Oscar Ramón Jayat highlighted the importance of joining the Pacto and thanked RAMCC for its inclusion: “It is a great honor to be able to sign this adhesion agreement to the Global Covenant of Mayors,” he emphasized.

The events for exchanging information and experiences organized by the Global Covenant of Mayors alliance have also proven to be very important for the signatory cities. The Mayor of Zapala, Carlos Koopmann Irizar, highlighted their importance and stated, “I am happy that every year they are presenting us with and facilitating new experiences that we can replicate day by day in our city.” Zapala is working on promoting sustainable tourism as an economically and environmentally responsible alternative. Additionally, it is undertaking actions to promote the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Joining the Global Covenant of Mayors is an opportunity for local governments and their citizens to transform situations related to the environment and climate change. As the Mayor of Sunchales, Gonzalo Toselli, stated, events like this are an opportunity to learn and join the climate fight, showing the importance of the commitment of municipal governments to “transform situations related to the environment and climate change. We celebrate being able to join the Pacto,” he reflected.

The fight against climate change is a joint task that requires everyone’s cooperation and commitment. As the Mayor of San Vicente, Gonzalo Aira, affirmed, “Surely from here, we will enrich our new ideas to begin developing with our work teams the new and future policies that we will be implementing.”

Members of the Mayors’ Forum were present

The Global Covenant of Mayors in the Americas includes representatives from the Mayors Forum in Argentina, including the Mayor of Despeñaderos, Carolina Basualdo, and the Mayor of San Justo, Nicolás Cuesta. During this event, Basualdo presented her experience as a representative of the GCoM Mayors Forum in Argentina.

Basualdo highlighted the importance of having political leadership in local climate action: “I am convinced that only through action in local governments can we work on the environmental challenges facing our territories. For this, the support provided by networks such as RAMCC and GCoM is essential not only for planning but also for implementing concrete actions in our municipalities.”

The GCoM expert, Belén Jiménez, gave a presentation about the alliance, its objectives, and its main benefits. Specifically, the joint work that GCoM and RAMCC are doing in Argentina was emphasized, as the National Strategy approved for the country works on different lines of action, including supporting cities to develop and update their climate action plans, providing technical support for the development of their GHG inventories, offering training and capacity-building opportunities, exchanging experiences and best practices between cities, and linking with financing opportunities, among others. The National Strategy in Argentina is advancing at a good pace, and the commitment of municipalities to networked work is evident, with GCoM having 169 cities committed to the Pacto in the country.

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Let’s welcome Basavilbaso, El Trébol, Libertador General San Martín, San Antonio de Arredondo, Santo Tomé, Sunchales, Villa Regina, Zapala, Las Flores, San Vicente, and Ticino.