Between March 18th and 19th, the IV National Assembly of Mayors of the Argentine Network of Municipalities Against Climate Change (RAMCC) took place in Mar del Plata, Argentina. RAMCC acts as the national coordinator for Argentina on the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM), initiative funded by the European Union.
This edition of the assembly had the financial support of the European Union, through the GCoM Americas project. The most important space for meetings and exchanges between leaders of local governments belonging to the RAMCC reflected on the projects that are being developed with a focus on climate mitigation and adaptation actions, and the definition of future strategies.
The first day of the meeting brought together more than 200 municipalities and 150 Argentine mayors committed to the fight against climate change, many of whom are part of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in Latin America.
The Ambassador of the European Union Delegation in Argentina, Amador Sánchez Rico, highlighted the European Green Deal as “the great commitment the European Union made two years ago, that can be summarized in two objectives: to reduce 55% of our greenhouse gas emissions relative to 1990 levels and the second is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050”.
Sánchez Rico also emphasized the importance of working with partners to tackle climate change at the macro level:
“We also have to work with the actors that are on the front line of climate change, which are the cities, the municipalities. And this is why we finance this Global Covenant of Mayors project. It is clear that cities are the main agents when it comes to providing solutions and achieving the goals included in the ambitious agendas that we have”, concluded the ambassador.
Five new cities pledge to fight climate change
The mayor of Despeñaderos, Carolina Basualdo, signs the GCoM commitment letter
During the assembly on the 18th, the mayors of Marco Juárez, Pedro Delarossa, and Villarino, Carlos Bevilácqua; the municipal president of General Ramirez, Carlos Vergara; the president of the community of San José de la Esquina and the mayor of Despeñaderos, Carolina Basualdo, signed the letter of commitment to the Global Covenant of Mayors and are now part of the largest global alliance of local governments committed to tackling the climate crisis.
GCoM Senior Specialist for the Americas, Marja Edelman, made herself present through a pre-recorded video during the accession ceremony of these new GCoM members. In her speech, Edelman acknowledged that the commitment requires a lot of work and coordination efforts, search for data and information, and a high level of commitment and determination from the municipal teams. She underlined that municipalities are not alone on this pathway:
“The Global Covenant of Mayors team will implement, through RAMCC, and with funding from the European Union, a series of activities to support the signatory municipalities andprovide them with tools, connect them with other cities and municipalities around the world to share experiences, achievements, and exchanges about the challenges faced” – highlighted Edelman.
The GCoM representative pointed out that the commitment to the Global Covenant of Mayors requires an in-depth study of certain issues and tasks, but should not be seen as an extra workload for technical teams, or as something disconnected from the day-to-day activities of the municipalities. “On the contrary, it should create purpose and bring pride, because with hard work and planning, municipalities prepare for a more resilient, low-carbon and sustainable future for all”, concluded Edelman.
