The Global Covenant of Mayors participated in the 2nd ICLEI Brazil National Meeting
June 7, 2023. Palmas, Brazil. The European Union, through its project, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, took part in the 2nd ICLEI Brazil National Meeting from June 6 to 8. The event focused on “Sustainable Cities: Nature-Based and Renewable Energy Solutions” and was held in Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil. The meeting fostered discussions and agendas among municipalities and states, featuring debates, roundtable discussions, technical visits, success case studies, and moments for exchanging experiences among participants.
Representatives of the Global Covenant of Mayors played a significant role in the event, bringing together key players in local climate matters. In addition to mayors from Covenant signatory cities, Environment Directors from municipalities and National Coordinators of the project, ICLEI, the Brazilian Association of Municipalities (ABM), and the Alziras Institute were present. In the Amazonian context, the cities of Florencia (Colombia), Belém, Porto Velho, and Palmas in Brazil— the host city—participated.
The adverse effects of climate change are felt worldwide and directly impact urban centers and city life—responsible for 78% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Global Carbon Project, 2021). According to the World Health Organization, these emissions may be associated with the deaths of seven million people worldwide each year.
Data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) show that 2,706 Brazilian municipalities are already experiencing droughts, and over a thousand have faced floods, landslides, and erosive processes in their territories. This highlights the urgency for cities, states, and Brazilian regions of various sizes and levels of socioeconomic development to adapt their public policies and projects to achieve local, national, and international goals for inclusive, resilient, and sustainable city development.
The 2nd ICLEI Brazil National Meeting aimed to present and discuss the implementation of major global development agendas and the contribution of Brazilian subnational governments to addressing the climate emergency. The event discussed measures for implementing climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives, focusing on the development of Nature-Based Solutions and strategies for transitioning to clean energy.
During the event’s opening, Stephanie Horel, Program Officer for the Americas at the Delegation of the European Union in Brazil, highlighted that the European Union was present with the goal of bringing cities together and sharing best practices regarding climate change. “We need these multilevel spaces, with various actors and dialogues, to find the best solutions in territories. The work developed in Palmas with solar energy, for example, can help other cities facing the same problem,” she said.
Mayor Cinthia Ribeiro of Palmas celebrated the recognition, through the Covenant, of the city’s mitigation and adaptation actions. In the 2022 reporting cycle, the city earned two medals. The mayor highlighted some of the ambitious actions instituted by the city: “Our municipality instituted the Palmas Solar program, through which a discount of up to 60% on municipal taxes is granted for a period of up to five years. From 2017 to today, 1340 stamps have already been granted under this program, equivalent to a total of four million reais in investments,” she emphasized.
Energy Transition
During the launch of the Energy Transition Program in Cities, the projects and goals of the four cities participating in the initiative—Contagem/MG, São Cristóvão/SE, Abaetetuba/PA, and São Sepé/RS—were presented. The importance of raising awareness among representatives of local governments about the need to build technical capacity in relation to energy transition through solar energy was also discussed.
Maria Thereza Camisão Mesquita, Municipal Director of Environment in Contagem/MG, explained that the city’s pilot energy generation project was installed in a building with a 300 m² roof, employing 150 people. “Our next step is to replicate this model in two city parks and at the prefecture headquarters. The choice of these locations was made so that it is not only a change in the energy matrix but also in environmental education. Next, we intend to take this project to the municipal education system,” she concluded.
Iconic Cities
Presenting the projects of the Iconic Cities initiative, Horel recalled that one of the most critical steps in initiating concrete climate actions is the viability of accessing funding sources. A group of fifteen Iconic Cities in Latin America has been selected to participate in a series of training sessions and mentoring to advance the preparation, financing, and execution of their own local climate action projects. In Brazil, the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Serra Talhada, and Belo Horizonte make up the first cycle of the initiative.
Tainá de Paula, Director of Environment and Climate of Rio de Janeiro, said that the city intends to understand the emissions framework to quantify and qualify data in three major areas: transportation, solid waste, and the industrial sector. “We want to establish how, with our budgets for projects and programs, we can contribute to the long-term mitigation and neutralization of greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.
Medal Awards Ceremony
At the close of the first day of the event, the Global Covenant of Mayors recognized the progress of local governments in actively combating climate change by awarding medals in acknowledgment of municipalities’ achievements for climate and a more just and sustainable society. In the 2022 cycle,
72 Latin American cities were recognized with 188 medals for climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.
“We congratulate all Brazilian and Latin American cities for their commitment and efforts in the fight against climate change. We thank ICLEI, ABM, FNP, and the Alziras Institute for their tireless work in supporting municipalities committed to the Covenant in Brazil,” highlighted Stephanie Horel.
The Brazilian cities honored and receiving the trophy crafted by ICLEI during the award ceremony were: Rio Branco (Acre); João Pessoa (Paraíba); Curitiba (Paraná); Francisco Morato and Campinas (São Paulo); and Palmas (Tocantins).
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