Local Governments against Climate Change

One of the results of COP21 is the recognition of the role of local governments (cities, provinces, regions) in the fight against climate change, explains Edoardo Croci in the first video of #EnergyLink, the videoblog of IEFE, Bocconi University's Centre for Research on Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy.

However, cities' commitment is not new. In Europe we have a Covenant of Mayors, which brings together 6,700 municipalities and provinces that have committed, first, to a 20% voluntary reduction of emissions by 2020 and, later, even to a 40% reduction by 2030.

Last September, a Sustainable Development Goal was defined in New York, specifically tailored for cities, while next May, in Amsterdam, a European Urban Agenda will be defined.

The areas on which cities can take action are heating, transport, the definition and development of urban space, waste collection and utilities. Cities, however, are also the victims of the effects of climate change and they, therefore, need adaptation policies.

If, on the one hand, 50% of the global population lives in cities, urban areas are responsible for 70% of global emissions. The recognition of their role is an important step to guide local governments in activities that bind mitigation, adaptation and environment.