Despeñaderos organizes: “Climate Dialogue – Exchange of experiences from cities committed to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM)”
April 13, 2024, Despeñaderos (Argentina) – On Saturday, April 13, Despeñaderos, in Argentina, hosted the “Climate Dialogue – Exchange of experiences from cities committed to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM)”. This initiative, organized by the municipality of Despeñaderos as a prominent member of the GCoM Mayors’ Forum in Latin America, took place within the framework of the VI National Assembly of Mayors of the Argentine Network of Municipalities Facing Climate Change (RAMCC).
Despeñaderos and San Justo: Leading Municipalities in GCoM’s Climate Action in Argentina
The event brought together municipal leaders from signing and non-signing cities of the GCoM, as well as climate action experts, to share knowledge and best practices in combating climate change in Argentina. Highlighting Despeñaderos’ commitment, Mayor Carolina Basualdo played a prominent role in the event. Mayor Carolina Basualdo, who also chairs the Mayors and Mayors Forum and represents Latin America on the GCoM’s Global Board, along with Mayor Nicolás from San Justo, both prominent members of the GCoM’s Mayors Forum, led the event and proudly represented the Covenant.
About the “Climate Dialogue”
The day began with welcoming remarks from Carolina Basualdo and Nicolás Cuesta, followed by a visit to the “Despeñaderos Florece” project. During the visit, which included the Dean of the Faculty of Agronomy of the National University of Córdoba, Jorge Dutto, local sustainable development initiatives were showcased.
Next, the Climate Dialogue took place, moderated by Alejandra Gracia Krizanec, journalist from Canal C and La Voz del Interior. In this dialogue, Ariadne Souza, Technical Advisor of the Global Covenant of Mayors, presented the GCoM’s initiative, along with the results in Argentina. Ariadne also discussed how new municipalities can join the initiative, exemplifying Despeñaderos and its global action from the local level.
Later, the dialogue featured an exchange of experiences among the mayors present, where in addition to Carolina and Nicolás, authorities such as Sara Majorel, Mayor of Marcos Juárez, Juan Moroni, Mayor of Bell Ville, and Nicolás Carotti, Mayor of Arequito, participated. Agustín Botteron concluded this segment by introducing the Gap Fund, a fund that assists cities in developing and presenting climate projects for funding, and presented the possibilities of the fund application process, requirements, and success stories in Argentina.
During the dialogue, the progress and challenges faced by the GCoM’s signatory municipalities were discussed, as well as future strategies to strengthen local climate action. Cities shared their climate challenges, emphasizing the need to expand the participation of smaller cities, secure adequate funding, and foster inter-regional collaboration. Agustín Botteron presented the Gap Fund, an initiative that supports cities in implementing climate projects.
The day ended with a meeting with “Youth for Climate”, exploring opportunities for collaboration between youth and local governments in the fight against climate change.
Argentina receives 78 GCoM medals for the 2023 cycle:
Argentina stands out as a leader in climate action within the GCoM. In 2023, several Argentine municipalities were awarded medals for their commitment to emission reduction and adaptation to climate change. In total, 78 medals were awarded, 30 for Mitigation, 36 for Adaptation, 10 for full Compliance with the GCoM’s journey, and 2 for Energy. Additionally, the country is in the process of finalizing its National GCoM Strategy, representing an important milestone in collaboration between the national government, municipalities, and other relevant actors in the fight against climate change.
Argentine Network of Municipalities Facing Climate Change (RAMCC)
RAMCC plays a crucial role as the National Coordinator of the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) in Argentina and as the implementer of the National GCoM Strategy in the country. In recent years, RAMCC has carried out various awareness-raising and technical training activities in Argentina, aiming to strengthen the Local Climate Action Plans of municipalities and turn their ideas into concrete climate actions. The completion of the National Strategy represents a significant milestone in our collaboration with RAMCC to advance the fight against climate change in Argentina.