Cities and regions will be pivotal in reaching climate neutrality by 2050

(EurActiv, 23 Sep 2019) Stopping global warming requires a concerted effort by all levels of government. Being responsible for more than 70% of climate mitigation measures and up to 90% of climate adaptation actions, local governments will be pivotal in rising up to the challenge, writes Karl-Heinz Lambertz.

Karl-Heinz Lambertz is a Belgian politician who is currently President of the European Committee of the Regions, an EU consultative body.

Ignoring the thousands of people taking the streets each week demanding world leaders to keep the promises made when they signed the UN climate Paris Accord in 2015, would be not only an environmental catastrophe, but an economic and moral mistake. The climate sceptics who question the link between human behaviour and climate change risk not only ignoring science, but missing the economic opportunities and deepening the divide between people and politics. Governments at every level have a duty to take action, or future generations will be left counting the costs.

The science is unambiguous: climate change is advancing. We are already experiencing more regular and extreme weather conditions. The poles and glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising and biodiversity loss is reaching new records. The economic argument is equally persuasive: global warming is costing €12 billion each year. The shift to a carbon-free economy will create much-needed jobs, make the EU more competitive and reduce our energy dependency.

At the major climate conference in New York today, Antonio Guterres – the UN’s Secretary-General – will call to accelerate climate action and commit to higher climate targets. The world has already reached the most ambitious climate international agreement in history. We have agreed the targets, most of the proceedings and the implementation rules. However, global temperatures will still warm by 3°C by 2100 on our current trajectory. We must raise our level of ambition, turning pledges into results. And no one can deliver on those promises without involving local communities, cities and regions.

Half the world’s population lives in cities, a share that is likely to reach 70% in 2050. Cities consume as much as 80% of energy production and emit almost an equal share of global greenhouse gas emissions. Local governments are pivotal, as they are responsible for more than 70% of climate mitigation measures and up to 90% of climate adaptation actions. A UN report released last week has said that investing in low-carbon measures across cities will return at least $23.9 trillion by 2050.

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EurActiv, 23 Sep 2019: Cities and regions will be pivotal in reaching climate neutrality by 2050