The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM), in collaboration with the European Union’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), conducted its first training session on developing Local Climate Action Plans focusing on mitigation and adaptation. The training targeted both signatory and non-signatory Brazilian cities of the Covenant and was conducted in two phases: the first online on April 13 and the second in person at the Brazilian Association of Municipalities (ABM) headquarters in Brasília/DF on April 19 and 20.
Helinah Cardoso, the coordinator of the Covenant in the Americas, emphasized the importance of such knowledge exchange and experience-sharing spaces among cities, stating they “are crucial for commitment, motivation, and enabling cities to make concrete progress towards more sustainable development aligned with the fight against climate change.”
The workshop aimed to equip cities with the necessary tools and knowledge to develop their Climate Action Plans (CAP). The training, contextualized for the Brazilian reality, utilized a practical methodology involving cities and their local representatives in the main concepts of the Global Covenant of Mayors, its stages, and processes leading to the development and reporting of the CAP.
Stephanie Horel, Program Officer for the Americas at the European Union Delegation in Brazil, highlighted that the JRC-developed training strengthens cities’ capacities in implementing Climate Action Plans. “Cities need to know what technical information and tools are available to them that can truly help manage adaptation and mitigation plans. These training sessions enhance this capacity and connect experiences and people working in cities to learn even more.”
Throughout the training, 36 representatives from 16 cities participated in presentations on developing Greenhouse Gas Inventories and risk and Vulnerability Analyses and broad discussions on climate change, mitigation, and adaptation strategies.
Indielle Karine de Almeida Silva, the climate project technical advisor for Sirinhaém, Pernambuco, expressed that the training expanded their knowledge base, understanding of the reality of climate change, and better grasping how to develop the municipal plan. “This is very important for our municipality because it allows us to take a step forward in sustainable initiation, respecting our resources and achieving balanced economic development and sustainability,” she noted.
The training included the participation of the GCoM’s national coordinators in Brazil: the Brazilian Association of Municipalities, the National Front of Mayors, ICLEI-South America, and the Alziras Institute. It also included the technical team from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP Latin America), who addressed questions on using the reporting and verification platform for Climate Action Plan stages.
Funded by the European Union, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) is the largest global alliance of cities and local governments voluntarily committed to combating climate change. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides independent, evidence-based scientific knowledge to support European Union policies to have a positive societal impact. Since the launch of GCoM Americas in 2015, the JRC has been providing technical and scientific support to the initiative.
