Climate Action Planning Academy closes with more than 1,600 participants

The Climate Action Planning Academy of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) is a training initiative for Latin American cities that began in November 2023, carried out in partnership with ICLEI South America and financed by the European Union. Concluded in April 2024, the Academy was attended by 1,691 people, 268 of whom obtained the platform’s final certification.

The aim of the training was to strengthen the technical and strategic capacity of the Pact’s signatory cities and other local governments to tackle the region’s climate challenges, thus contributing to building a more sustainable and resilient future for the entire Latin American region. The initiative was divided into three cycles, each focusing on an instrument of the cities’ climate journey:

• Greenhouse Gas Inventories (GHG): basic concepts were presented, as well as the steps of the Global Protocol for GHG at the Community Scale (GPC) methodology, practical examples of the use of tools, experiences of local governments in drawing up GHG emission inventories and strategies for tackling the climate crisis.
• Assessment and Reduction of Climate Vulnerability (ARVC): the aim was to develop fundamental concepts for assessing climate risks and vulnerabilities, as well as providing tools to enable cities to diagnose their territories in order to strengthen decision-making and support resilience through awareness and knowledge.
• Climate Action Plans (CAPs): cities learned how to draw up comprehensive action plans that address both mitigation and adaptation to climate change, integrating concrete and sustainable measures into their municipal policies and projects.

Academy in numbers

There were 380 participants from 10 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Brazil was the country with the highest number of participating cities, accounting for 46.3% of all municipalities represented. In second and third place were Argentina and Colombia with 14.7% and 13.2% respectively. The remaining municipalities are distributed between Ecuador (10.5%); Chile (4.7%); Peru (3.9%); Paraguay (3.7%) and Venezuela (1.1%).

Given the importance of promoting gender equality at all stages of climate action, it is encouraging to note that women were in the majority both in seeking training and in completing the learning path, accounting for around 60% of registrations and certifications, while men accounted for 40%.

Exchange of experiences between cities

During the training cycles, various cities shared their experiences and best practices, enriching collective learning and highlighting the diversity of climate approaches and solutions in the region. In this regard, the Academy had the contribution of the Brazilian cities of João Pessoa, Itabirito and Porto Alegre; as well as the Colombian cities of Bucaramanga and Villavicencio, Cuenca and Quito (Ecuador) and Buenos Aires and Rosario (Argentina). The dedication and work put into climate planning by these municipalities has inspired their peers.

Several institutions contributed through the expertise of their speakers, strengthening the quality and relevance of the training through their commitment and collaboration: Instituto Nosso Clima, CDP, UNDRR’s Making Cities Resilient 2030 initiative, WayCarbon, the Brazilian Ministries of Cities, Environment and Climate Change and the Federal University of Pernambuco. Also noteworthy is the technical support provided by ICLEI South America, which attests to its commitment to strengthening climate capacities in the region.

The closure of the Climate Action Planning Academy is a step towards a more sustainable, resilient and committed Latin America. As these cities plan and implement concrete and ambitious measures, they strengthen their leadership role, inspiring other communities in the region to join in the fight against climate change.