A delegation from Barcelona City Council, led by the Mayor, Jaume Collboni, is taking part in the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2023, COP28, which is taking place in the United Arab Emirates until 12 December. At COP28, nearly 200 countries must update their commitments to address the climate emergency and the first Global Stocktake will be presented to assess compliance with the objectives set by the Paris Agreement eight years ago.
The Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing, Laia Bonet, and the Commissioner for International Relations, Pau Solanilla, will also take part in the meeting. Through its representatives, Barcelona wants to bring to the different forums in which it participates in COP28 the will to carry forward policies that guarantee a just transition in the fight against climate change that mainly takes into account the most vulnerable families. Barcelona wants to lead a front of large cities that play an active role in the design of European policies in this area and at the same time fight at all levels against climate change denialism.
Jaume Collboni arrives in Dubai today, Friday, and will be the only Spanish municipal representative present at the first summit that specifically convenes local governments to be held within the framework of a COP. It is the Local Climate Action Summit organised by the Bloomberg Foundation. This Local Climate Action Summit (LACC) will bring together local and regional governments to address the mobilisation of both public and private investment to strengthen their financing; the integration of the contributions of cities to national and global climate goals until 2030; the acceleration of the local energy transition; and finally, strategies to address the immediate and future climate risks facing cities.
At noon on Friday, the Mayor also participates in the panel Designing Healthy and Resilient Cities. Coinciding with the UN summit and in parallel, the Norman Foster Foundation, Lancet Countdown, the C40 cities network and the insurance company BUPA are convening this meeting where the Lancet Countdown 2023 study on the impacts of climate on urban health will be presented. The meeting will bring together leading figures from architecture, engineering, urban planning, public health, city councils and local authorities to discuss how to accelerate multi-sectoral action to design urban responses to climate change, increasing mitigation and adaptation efforts aligned with public health. The Mayor will share the debate with Maria Neira, Director of the WHO’s Department of Public Health and Environment, and architect Norman Foster, among others.
Tomorrow, Saturday 2 December, the Mayor will take part in the round table on Fair and sustainable energy transition for people and the planet. The round table is organised as part of COP28 by Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development.
In this session, the Mayor will share experiences with the mayors of Malmö, Glasgow, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Ghana, and the Director of International Affairs & Climate Finance of the European Commission. Measures and proposals will be put on the table to ensure the objectives of a just and sustainable energy transition.
The city delegation will also have an intense international agenda including a meeting with the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. As members of the global C40 network, Barcelona and Paris are leaders in the search for solutions that respond not only to the climate crisis, but also address challenges such as the energy crisis and the cost of living to protect citizens, especially the most vulnerable.
During the two days that the Mayor of Barcelona will be in Dubai, he will maintain bilateral contacts to strengthen the role of cities and their leadership in the fight against climate change. Meetings are planned with the mayors of Copenhagen, Casablanca and Athens. As part of the summit, Collboni will also meet with the Third Vice-President of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera.