On October 11, 2022 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) launched its new technical support service, created to rapidly develop climate, resilience and energy access plans in 40 cities across the world where such plans have not already been developed, building on the support that the GCoM Regional/National Covenants are already offering signatory cities.
What is this new GCoM service?
This newly launched support service funded by the European Union is designed to help those cities and countries that have not previously received such support via the Global Covenant of Mayors, with a full package of training and technical advice to develop Climate Action Plans and to take city climate solutions through to investment and implementation.
Why is it useful?
The GCoM support to develop Climate Action Plans has already been important to help translate the political commitment from cities and local leaders into practical measures and projects. Climate Action Plans are important to outline the key actions they plan to undertake with realistic and ambitious measures that can be financed and implemented. This support service brings expertise and assistance to 40 new cities.
Why is it being launched in Abidjan, Ivory Coast?
Ivory Coast is the first country in which this engagement is happening. The launch workshop in the capital Abidjan is being held in the presence of the Mayors and Deputy Mayors representing the first five cities receiving support: Yamoussoukro, Man, San Pédro, Ferkessédougou and Abengourou. High-level representatives from an additional approximately 40 cities across Ivory Coast are also attending the event. It is followed by a two-day capacity-building workshop for the technical staff of these municipalities, introducing them to the work related to Climate Action Plan development. GCoM and its regional chapter, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) are coordinating with key actors in the region, and financing institutions to facilitate access to finance for the priority climate action projects that will be identified through the action planning.
What comes next?
Over the next 18 months, these services will be provided to 40 cities from nine countries, and will work in the same way as in Ivory Coast, by offering a dedicated team of experts who will collaborate with the cities on the development of their climate action planning. The countries that will additionally benefit from this support include Tanzania, Oman, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
For more information, you can contact the GCoM Secretariat: info@globalcovenantofmayors.org