Local governments members of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and allies from various sectors participated in the debates on the contribution and actions of local governments from the perspective of the right to the city as a right to urban life and habitat at the XXVII Mercociudades Summit. The event was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, from November 29 to December 1.
The Pact’s expert for Latin America, Rebecca Borges, represented the project during the session on climate action and cities and in the regional dialogue “The city of the future, environmental sustainability and social inclusion”. Rebecca highlighted that “to build greener, more inclusive and resilient cities, we need to identify synergies for environmental and social action, considering that social cohesion is key to the resilience process of communities, including the effects of climate change”.
The Pact was present in two moments. During the thematic session of the Commission on Environment and Sustainable Development that dealt with Climate Action and Cities, in which the mayor of São Leopoldo, Brazil, Ary Vanazzi, and the Covenant expert for the region, Rebecca Borges, participated, together with Uolli Briotto and Bráulio Diaz, and Andreia Banhe, representing ICLEI South America and CDP respectively.
The objective of the session was to promote the Covenant as the main initiative to support local governments in their ambitious climate commitment and to reactivate cities committed to the partnership that are currently inactive.
Eduardo Tadeu (ABM), Rebecca Borges (GCoM), Nicolás Cuesta (Mayor of San Justo, representing the Mayors Forum), Andreia Banhe (CDP LATAM), Rodrigo Arias (AChM), Uolli Briotto (ICLEI SAMS), Bráulio Díaz (ICLEI SAMS).
The second moment consisted of the regional dialogue “The city of the future, environmental sustainability and social inclusion”. Participating in this space, representing the Covenant, were the expert Rebecca Borges and the mayor of San Justo, Nicolás Cuesta, in his capacity as a member of the Latin American Mayors Forum. During the dialogue, Rebecca Borges contributed the vision of the Covenant alliance as a channel of support from the European Union to local governments to prepare for and face the effects of climate change.
Eduardo Tadeu (ABM), Rebecca Borges (GCoM), Nicolás Cuesta (Mayor of San Justo, representing the Mayors Forum), Andreia Banhe (CDP LATAM), Rodrigo Arias (AChM), Uolli Briotto (ICLEI SAMS), Bráulio Díaz (ICLEI SAMS).
Mercociudades and the Global Pact of Mayors
Mercociudades represents the founding members of the Global Compact of Mayors initiative and is a member of the Regional Steering Committee in Latin America, thus forming this body of key actors that drives a strategy for the implementation of the Compact and prioritizes and promotes activities at the regional level. Together with the Latin American Federation of Cities, Municipalities and Associations (FLACMA), it represents United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in the region.
