A briefing note on Locally Determined Contributuion by Councillor Andrew
Cooper – Green Party Councillor on Kirklees Council , Member of the UK
Delegation to the EU Committee of the Regions and Green Party of England Wales
Energy Spokesperson.
There is an
opportunity at the COP23 Climate Talks in November to bring action on climate
change closer to Local and Regional Governments around the world and closer to
the communities that they serve.
At COP21 in
Paris 2 years ago National Governments expressed their efforts to achieve
carbon emission reduction targets as ‘Nationally Determined Contributions’ -
NDCs. In the case of the UK our NDC made no reference to the work being
undertaken by Local Authorities to reduce emissions. Efforts at the local level
to improve building standards beyond building regulation, install LED street
lights, plant trees to sequester carbon etc were simply not measured or taken
into account in those national contributions.
At the
International level it is acknowledged that there is a shortfall between the
agreed NDCs and the savings required to limit global temperature rise to 1.5
degrees C. This reality requires fresh ideas to address this gap.
The growing momentum for Locally
Determined Contributions to address Climate Change
There is a
growing momentum behind the concept of Locally Determined Contributions where
Local and Regional Government can set out their own plans to reduce carbon
emissions. The idea was originally conceived by Cllr Andrew Cooper from the UK
in his role as a member of the UK Delegation to the EU Committee of the
Regions. There is a strong reference in the Opinion he is Rapporteur for on the
EU’s Environmental Implementation Review. Another Opinion on Climate Finance by
Italian member Marco Dus also makes reference to LDC’s. Both these Opinions
will be going forward for approval at the EU Committee of the Regions Session
on the 10th and 11th of October. In addition LDC’s are
now included in a European Parliament Opinion being led by the Rapporteur French
MEP Gilles Pargeneaux on ‘The Role of Regions and Cities in the implementation
of the Climate Change Agreement’. His Opinion calls for,
"the
creation of a system of Locally Determined Contributions to be implemented in direct
and complementary to Nationally Determined Contributions"
Valuing action on Climate Change at
the local level
Establishing
a system of Locally Determined Contributions, to complement those that are
determined by National Governments, could spur action at a local level. We are
often asked to ‘Think Global and Act Local’ and by mirroring the terminology of
‘Nationally Determined Contributions’ this helps stress the importance of
action at the local level.
It is said
of many things that if something isn’t measured it isn’t valued. An
International system of Locally Determined Contributions would provide a
platform for the valuable and vital action by Local and Regional actors to
reduce carbon emissions and thereby be a spur to greater action to reduce carbon
emissions.
Fostering International Cooperation
on Climate Change at the local level
Locally
Determined Contributions could help foster international cooperation between
Local and Regional Authorities whereby best practice could be shared and peer
support provided to those areas needing assistance where it may not be available
within their country or from their National Government.
Ensuring the additionality of local
action on Climate Change is recognised
Ensuring
additionality should be a key feature of Locally Determined Contributions. Some
countries are good at linking their NDCs with local action others are not. Being
clear about which LDCs are additional and which are contributing to NDCs is
important. Both should be measured to ensure local action is valued but it is
important to be clear about what is additional, and what is not.
Existing
mechanisms such as the Global Covenant of Mayors should be recognised as approved
methods of demonstrating compliance as a Locally Determined Contribution. Robust
existing methods of demonstrating carbon reductions should not have to go
through additional hoops.
Providing a valid platform for local
and State Government involvement in climate action in the USA
With the
announcement by the current US President of their intention to pull out of the
Paris Climate Agreement this puts greater emphasis on action in the US at the
level of individual State and lower levels of Governments. The US Conference of
Mayors has indicated its intention to honour the COP21 Paris Agreement and
LDC’s can provide a new structure that enables this involvement on action at
the state level.
Accessibility for both large and
small municipalities
Local and
Regional Government can range from areas representing millions of people to just
a few hundred. It is important that Locally Determined Contributions enable
participation from Local and Regional Governments from the very small to the
those Regional bodies that are larger than some nation states
Bringing COP and Climate Change action
closer to local people and communities
The
introduction of LDCs/RDCs at the lowest tier of Government will give a new
opportunity for engagement with communities and non-governmental organisations.
The strong links Local and Regional Authorities have with Community Leaders and
key local agencies makes them ideally placed to drive local action on climate
change. Establishing Local Partnerships to deliver LDCs and RDCs could provide
a new impetus and focus for climate mitigation actions on the ground. LDC’s
could provide the same basis for global community involvement at a local level
that Local Agenda 21 provided.
Locally Determined Contributions and
Brexit
The UK has
stated that it will honour its current Nationally Determined Contributions
which were part of the EU negotiated total. Though LDCs/RDCs have come out of
EU Institutions if they are agreed at COP23 they will become part of an
International Agreement and the UK will still be able to engage with them
when/if Brexit finally comes into effect.
Contact
Councillor
Andrew Cooper
Moble - +
44 (0) 7721 348619
Twitter
@clrandrewcooper
Every little helps to coin a phrase - why so few comments here?
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