The cities of Peñalolén and Independencia (Chile), and Palmas (Brazil), signatories of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM), participated in the Thursday afternoon (17) panel discussion “Nature-based Solutions and Development Strategies to Address the Climate Emergency in Latin America.”

The event, organized by ICLEI South America, took place at COP 27 and addressed the impacts of natural disasters and pandemics on cities, as well as the consequences of climate change. Possibilities to avoid intensive resource use were presented, prioritizing nature-based solutions.

The Mayor of Peñalolén (Chile), Carolina Leitao, also a GCoM Mayor’s Forum member, addressed topics such as solid waste, energy efficiency, and environmental education. The mayor highlighted managing the water crisis and the city’s local plan to address it. Goals were established for this year through economic support, institutional actions, and an action plan with the community.

Carolina addressed the importance of economic initiatives for families who need to pay the privatized water bill and solutions for resource conservation, such as rainwater reuse. According to the mayor, we all have a responsibility to avoid water waste, and it is necessary to raise awareness among the population about water scarcity and show how people use the resource in simple actions like showering or exercising.

Gonzalo Durán, Mayor of the city of Independencia (Chile), noted that the municipality has the lowest amount of green area per inhabitant in the country and that over 40% of the population is migrants. The mayor called for improvements in access to financing for climate action and highlighted the active participation of the community through environmental education. Durán states that the actions carried out by the city are part of a larger plan and cites as an example the replacement of the entire fleet of municipal vehicles with electric models to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Another project highlighted by the Chilean mayor was replacing native species through accelerated ecosystem growth. By improving conditions for species growth, optimized with minimal water use, the species grow faster than normal.

The Mayor of Palmas (Brazil), Cinthia Ribeiro, emphasized the importance of society’s participation in sustainability projects. She noted that as of December 1st, all schools and kindergartens in the city will be energy self-sufficient through the use of photovoltaic energy. The shift in the energy matrix also extends to public buildings, such as the city hall, which is powered by solar energy.

Palmas receives international mentoring in the Recycle Palmas project, where eco—points are distributed throughout the city within a maximum distance of one kilometer. Regarding the new solid waste policy, the mayor highlights that the municipal landfill is a model for the country, as it provides safe waste disposal and the possibility of transforming and selling waste into energy through a biogas plant at the landfill.

Cinthia Ribeiro also addressed land regularization and the importance of sustainably designed projects. Using a pilot project in the city as an example, she explained that family farming can and should work very well sustainably, with a gender focus, benefiting women and people with limited resources.

The 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) will be held from November 6th to 18th, 2022, in Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt).

The Declaration of the GCoM Mayor’s Forum in Latin America was presented

During the event, the Declaration of the Mayor’s Forum, representing the GCoM community in Latin America, was presented. The document gathers key messages from cities in the region addressed to decision-makers attending COP27.

The Mayor of Independencia (Chile) and member of the GCoM Mayor’s Forum in Latin America, Gonzalo Durán, presented the Declaration to the participating community of COP27. In October, in Argentina, mayors from the Forum met and agreed to issue a declaration to show the vision of local governments in the region.

The two main points of this declaration call for the strengthening of adaptation capacity to climate change, as municipalities in the region suffer increasingly devastating effects of extreme weather events, and for improved access to climate finance, as without this financial support, municipalities will face difficulties in fully realizing their mitigation and adaptation potential.

For Duran, “multilevel action is fundamental to combat the climate emergency we are facing, so including local governments is essential because this is where national plans are developed and implemented. I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this declaration.”

Read the full declaration: https://pactodealcaldes-la.org/language/en/cop27-declaration-of-the-forum-of-mayors-of-the-covenant-in-latin-america-highlights-priorities-for-the-region/