How COP28 is putting mayors to work on climate action

Mayors of large cities have a key role to play in combatting climate change, UN Secretary General António Guterres said at COP28, calling on them to “demand a seat at the table”.

Cities are big business when it comes to climate action. EU estimates suggest they are responsible for at least 70% of global emissions while the OECD reckons they represent 64% of investment in sectors that have a direct implication for the climate.

“I applaud your leadership, but I must also ask you to do more,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres while addressing a crowd of local leaders in Dubai on 1 December. Being placed centre-stage at COP28 – a first for such a group – was considered a welcome recognition of their work.

But, Guterres insisted, there was more to do. “Start planning now for a just transition to a net-zero future,” he said, adding that mayors would have to craft concrete plans that featured “recommendations against greenwashing or delays that do not make sense”.

He also called on local leaders “to demand a seat at the table as national governments develop climate policies and regulations”. This would be particularly important ahead of the world’s next round of national climate plans in 2025, Guterres added.

“Throw your full political support behind the renewables revolution,” he urged.

In many parts of the world, that is easier said than done. Take Rafał Trzaskowski, the centre-right liberal (PO, EPP) mayor of Warsaw. Until recently, his actions in favour of phasing out fossil fuels was faced with a hostile national government in a country known for its heavy coal usage.

“It is true that coal still makes up more than 60% of our energy mix,” Trzaskowski told Euractiv in Dubai. But using his local influence, he is making progress in line with the local climate action pledges he’s signed up to.

“In Warsaw we’ve taken a decision to ban using coal in boilers, and we’ve started eliminating them. Out of 15,000 boilers, a mere 4000 are left,” the mayor said. 

By banning coal boilers from public buildings and providing cash incentives to citizens, he managed to slash coal boilers at a time when the Polish government was still subsidising household coal use.

But when it comes to convincing citizens of the merits of the “renewables revolution”, mayors have a unique asset not available to the likes of Guterres, who fly from convention to convention. 

“We walk the streets of our cities. We are best at convincing citizens that that’s exactly what we need to do,” says Trzaskowski.

Paid in exposure

What are local authorities getting in exchange for throwing their weight behind the three demands? One thing is recognition, which comes hand in hand with precious political capital. 

“That we were seated for the first time among national governments made the difference. It is symbolic, but it’s important,” says the Polish centre-right politician. 

Colleagues agree. “What makes this summit, this COP different, is that mayors have a seat at the table,” explained Manuel de Araújo, mayor of Quelimane, a Mozambican seaport of 350,000 inhabitants.

“Thanks to the Secretary General and the COP president, this is the first COP where local leaders have a formal summit and are integrated into the program,” explained Michael Bloomberg, the philanthropist media mogul who cosponsors many mayors’ initiatives.

“It is a critical step forward,” he added, having once been the mayor of New York City himself.

[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald and Frédéric Simon]

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