The COP28 – the 28th session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – concluded on 13 December in Dubai with an agreement after intense final days of negotiations. The so-called Global Stocktake outcome report evaluates the progress made since the Paris agreement and outlines the way forward. Members of European Committee of the Regions who represented cities and regions in the official EU delegation have issued the following statement:
"After a year of record-breaking temperatures and an unprecedented series of adverse climate events directly affecting local communities across the world, the COP28 marks an important step forward for the world's governments to a transition away from all fossil fuels, but a future phase-out will ultimately be required. The Global Stocktake outcome report recognises the need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions to keep the Paris agreement target of 1.5°C within reach in this critical decade. However, this urgency still needs to be translated into stronger commitments by all Parties, and we are concerned that the final deal falls short of recognising the essential role of sub-national governments in climate action, making multilevel governance a pledge rather than a mandatory requirement.
"At the same time, many cities and regions continue to work hard to reach climate-neutrality far in advance of global, European or national targets. More importantly, they are accompanying their ambitious goals by action on the ground, be it in the field of transport, urban planning, energy efficiency or of nature restoration. Representing cities and regions in the EU, the European Committee of the Regions will continue its close cooperation with international networks to provide local and regional governments with the place they deserve on the national and global stage. We also expect the European Union to continue pushing for the increased involvement of cities and regions, in line with its negotiation mandate for this year's COP.
"Above all, we are proud of some of the COP28's key achievements that reflect the increasing importance given to action at subnational level: the agreement on a Loss and Damage Fund with direct financing to the most affected local and regional communities, the organisation of the first-ever Local Climate Action Summit; and the launch of the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP), which includes a commitment to involve local and regional governments in the planning and implementation of climate policies, including nationally determined contributions (NDCs). With the next round of NDCs to be submitted by 2025, these promises must now be converted into tangible action by the national governments. There is no time to lose."
Members of the CoR delegation to the COP28:
- Apostolos Tzitzikostas (EL/EPP), First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions, Governor of Central Macedonia Region, Greece
- Rafał Trzaskowski (PL/EPP), Mayor of Warsaw. Poland. Chair of the CoR's ENVE commission and Green Deal Going Local Working Group and CoR Rapporteur on 'UNFCCC COP28: the role of subnational authorities in keeping climate ambition on track' .
- Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla (ES/EPP), President of the Region of Andalusia, Spain.
- Alison Gilliland (IE/PES), Dublin City Councillor, Ireland.
- Vincent Chauvet (FR/Renew Europe), Mayor of Autun, France.
- Oldřich Vlasák (CZ/ECR), Councillor of the City of Hradec Králové, Czechia.
- Niina Ratilainen (FI/The Greens), Member of Turku City Council, Finland.
- Andries Gryffroy (BE/EA), Member of the Flemish Parliament, Belgium.
More information:
Contact:
Lauri Ouvinen
Tel. +32 473536887
lauri.ouvinen@cor.europa.eu