Climate change affects all of us, and the smallest actions can create big ripples which when done effectively can contribute to tangible change. Creating that change needs innovative and if not most importantly, collaborative efforts and it starts with raising awareness, for example in the importance of reducing emissions.
The 1000 CITIES Initiative for Carbon Freedom is based on the idea that if 1000 cities around the world develop and implement ambitious climate action plans, it will achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement and beyond. It supports cities in developing and implementing ambitious climate action plans.
Launched in 2017 by Pathway to Paris at the United Nations Secretariat, this global initiative aims to turn the Paris Agreement into action, particularly in curbing the rise of global temperature by 1.5°C by the 2030.
In the spirit of the global 1,000 Cities initiative, three networks of cities; C40 Cities, CDP and also the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate Change and Energy (GCoM) are on board to support the implementation of this initiative for 1,000 cities around the world to commit in a Race to Zero in time for the 2021 UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP26) – in collaboration with the Science-Based Target for Cities partners.
At the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021, this initiative is also taking on a bigger scale and called the ‘1000 Cities Adapt Now’ program initiated by the Mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb. The main goal is encouraging mayors, and council leaders from any city to implement inclusive climate action at the center of all urban-decision making, which in turn will ensure a green and just recovery from COVID-19 through science-based action to overcome it.
UCLG ASPAC as a Secretariat for GCoM in Southeast Asia encourages cities to enable climate action as it’s also a simultaneous effort towards post-COVID-19 recovery. Local governments are the closest to communities are in fact key actors in climate action movement through the implementation of comprehensive climate policy to achieve 50% global emission reduction and zero carbon by 2030.
For more details regarding this initiative, go to:
http://www.onethousandcities.com
https://racetozero.unfccc.int/1000-cities-racing-to-zero-emissions/
Source: By UCLG ASPAC (https://uclg-aspac.org)
