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Climate action / cities

ICCA2019: Using the potential of cities for climate action

Collaboration between all levels of government and local climate action a lever for raising ambition levels

After two days of intense discussions, the international climate action conference ICCA2019 in Heidelberg has drawn to a close. Four months ahead of the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit, the conference participants are sending a strong signal to the world: It is possible to implement ambitious climate action and comply with the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Climate-proof and sustainable cities are key to achieving this. Their potential must be unlocked through collaboration between all levels of government. Representatives of national governments adopted a Partnership Declaration on Collaborative Climate Action in which they agreed, among other things, to develop a financial framework which will facilitate investments in climate-resilient infrastructures at local level. States and regions agreed to take responsibility for spatial planning that takes climate change into account. Cities pledged to integrate climate objectives into the delivery of all relevant municipal services. Jointly, all levels of government have set the goal of pursuing collaborative climate action that is innovative and inspirational.

Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze commented: “Here in Heidelberg it has become very clear – we can do this. We have gained new insights and partners and forged new alliances. We have the knowledge and the willingness to work together and support one another in implementing the Paris Agreement. I now go to Berlin, New York and Santiago de Chile with strengthened resolve. Together, we are realising our goals with our co-hosts Heidelberg and Baden-Württemberg and with many cities, regions and networks from all corners of the world.”

Franz Untersteller, Environment Minister of Baden-Württemberg, commented: “It is time to act. This is the spirit that marked all of the talks here at ICCA2019. The next years will be decisive in determining whether we can curb climate change and ensure a liveable planet for future generations. This view was shared by everyone here at the conference and this is why global networking among regional and local levels is so important. In the context of our Under2Coalition, this sense of togetherness is already becoming apparent. Successful climate action has to be a cooperative undertaking”

Minister Untersteller added that concrete climate action measures were discussed at the municipal climate action congress during ICCA. “Take the heating sector transition, for example. We want to move away from fossil energy sources and decarbonise our municipal heating networks. We already have successful models in municipalities and we will use these examples to drive forward this transition throughout the country.”

Mayor Prof. Dr Eckhart Würzner remarked: “Here at ICCA2019, cities and regions from all over the world have presented many examples of effective climate action at local level. Oslo is working hard on electric mobility. Cape Town, which is committed to renewable energy and efficiency. And New Orleans, where new climate adaptation strategies are being tested. We need more pioneers like these! Cities have a bridging function to ensure that at all levels of government we achieve the transition to sustainable environmental policy and climate-friendly economic policy. I am very pleased that the Partnership Declaration emphasises cooperation between municipalities, states, nations, NGOs, businesses and international organisations. In particular, civil society actors such as the Fridays for Future movement have been very active in this context. It is only by taking this collaborative approach that we can achieve our climate targets.”

The International Conference on Climate Action in Heidelberg was held on 22 and 23 May 2019 and hosted by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety together with the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Heidelberg. During the conference, over 1,000 participants from over 100 countries worked together intensively for climate action. Above all, it became clear how crucial it is to have the right framework conditions that allow cities and municipalities to exercise their roles as players in climate action and sustainable development. Such framework conditions range from expertise on financial resources through to regulatory conditions. In addition, the conference participants all agreed these conditions need to be improved quickly.

A significant result of ICCA2019 is the Partnership Declaration on Collaborative Climate Action across all levels of government. In the declaration, states, cities, municipalities, federal states, regions and networks committed to more cooperation, communication and support in the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and set out priority actions to achieve this. The declaration was adopted during the high-level round table by representatives of all thee levels of government and their networks.

More partners are likely to join the declaration after ICCA2019 with a view to working together to implement it and make it a valuable contribution to the UN Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit in September.

Another outcome of the conference in Heidelberg is practical recommendations for action for better collaboration for more ambitious climate action and sustainable development e.g. regarding the removal of obstacles in financing local projects or the participation of citizens in implementing municipal climate action programmes. Furthermore, work was carried out on initiatives which will enable cities and municipalities to take ambitious climate action and promote the development of sustainable infrastructures. A number of these outcomes and initiatives will be further developed over the coming months and forwarded to the UN Climate Action Summit, where they will then be announced in September. A summary of the conference results – the “Heidelberg Outcome” – will be available shortly on the conference website.

Joint press release of the Federal Environment Ministry, the State of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Heidelberg
Climate action / cities

International Climate Conference ICCA2019 kicks off in Heidelberg
Municipalities are key actors in climate change mitigation

Today, Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze, Minister President of Baden-Württemberg Winfried Kretschmann and the Mayor of Heidelberg Prof. Dr Eckart Würzner, opened the two-day international climate conference ICCA2019 in Heidelberg. “ICCA” stands for “International Conference on Climate Action”. Around 1,000 people responsible for climate action in cities, regions and states worldwide are coming together with experts and representatives of civil society from around the globe to develop practical solutions to climate action and climate change adaptation and exchange experiences on climate action projects.

Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze commented: “To mitigate climate change, we need all levels of politics: from the United Nations to cities and municipalities. Half of the world’s population is already living in cities. Cities are responsible for more than 60 percent of CO2 emissions. They are therefore an important part of the solution. In Heidelberg we want to find ways for cities to do even more for climate action. We will also be reporting the outcomes of this conference to the United Nations in New York.”

Minister President Winifred Kretschmann stated: “This is a serious situation, but even so, climate change is still being underestimated. Many people think it won’t be as bad as predicted … But, you cannot negotiate the laws the nature. If we continue as we are now, the consequences will be grave: humanitarian disasters, conflicts, wars and influxes of refugees. Climate change is truly an issue of universal concern. Every month, every week, every day counts. We have no time to be pessimistic. Instead, we are focussing on constructive approaches.”

Mayor Prof. Dr Eckart Würzner remarked: “We have to provide an incentive for climate-friendly behavior. In the past, we had the ‘coal penny’ in Germany. Today, we need a ‘Planet Future Fund’. Switzerland has been leading the way for years. There, there is a tax on the use of fossil fuels. The money collected is used to finance support measures that can be utilized by everyone. What’s more, every citizen gets a fixed sum back. Those who use a lot pay extra. On balance, those who act in a climate-friendly manner even make a financial profit. In my view, what is particularly important is a new perspective – a strategy for sustainable growth. Those who invest in future technologies create new, sustainable jobs and contribute to global climate protection efforts. We want people to want the future – the opportunities and the potential are there.”

Cities are responsible for many climate-relevant service sectors. However, here they must be supported at national and regional level. Better coordination between states and their regions, cities and also civil society is therefore crucial to ensure that each level and each actor can best deliver their contribution to climate action. The outcomes of the conference will generate important momentum in cities and states and for the Climate Action Summit of the UN Secretary-General in New York on 23 September.

By 2050, over 70% of the world’s population will live in cities, which today already consume over 70% of globally available energy. Cities have considerable steering possibilities in climate-relevant service sectors such as urban and spatial planning, transport infrastructure, housing development, water management, energy management and waste management. However, basic legal and regulatory framework conditions are established at national and regional level. Better coordination at all levels of government is needed to enable cities to do more for climate action.

The conference is jointly hosted by the Federal Environment Ministry, the State of Baden-Württemberg and the City of Heidelberg. Affiliated to the conference are the Climate Neighbourhoods, which will engage with citizens and civil society with events around the city. After its successful launch in Hanover in 2015, the second Climate Neighbourhoods (CN) will take place in Heidelberg on 22 and 23 May 2019 in close proximity to ICCA2019.

Taking the theme “Let’s scale-up solutions!” the 200 participants will develop strategies to intensify and disseminate climate mitigation and adaptation activities, which will be used as a basis for recommendations for the international climate dialogue. Representatives of municipalities, civil groups, businesses and youth – in other words local actors and implementers from all over the world – are invited to contribute. CN is organised by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (ifeu) and the city network Climate Alliance.

The Youth Climate Summit offers young people their own platform for discussion. This sends clear messages to political representatives in CN and ICCA, and signals the importance of involving young people in decision-making processes.

Further conferences and meetings, both formal and informal, will take place in the margins of ICCA2019 to discuss municipal climate action. These include events organised by networks of the global Under2Coalition, co-founded by the state of Baden-Württemberg, and the European city network Energy Cities, of which the Mayor of Heidelberg is president.

Local climate action events during ICCA2019 in Heidelberg:
20 – 21 May: International Youth Climate Summit of the Climate Neighbourhoods (CN)
21 May: Field trips to examples of best practice in climate action, organised by Climate Neighbourhoods (CN)
21 May: BEACON Conference: Catalysing European Local Climate Action in the framework of the BMU’s European Climate Initiative
23 May: UNSG Climate Action Summit, “Decentralized Finance”, Subtrack Meeting
21 May: Cities Fit for Climate Change | Final Session
23 May: Energy Cities General Assembly
23 May: Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA) Members’ Meeting
23 May: Field trips to examples of best practice in climate action, organised by Climate Neighbourhoods (CN)

Pictures from ICCA2019 and the Climate Neighbourhoods (CN) can be found here.

More information on #ICCA2019:
www.icca2019.collaborative-climate-action.org
www.cn2019.org
www.bmu.de
www.baden-wuerttemberg.de
www.heidelberg.de/klimakonferenz

ICCA2019 press conference in Heidelberg

Next Monday, Lord Mayor Prof. Dr. Ing. Eckart Würzner will inform you again about current topics and projects of the city administration. The focus lies on “International Conference on Climate Action | ICCA2019” which is hosted together by the Federal Environment Ministry, the state of Baden-Württemberg and the city of Heidelberg. Experts from all over the world will discuss climate protection on 22 and 23 May in Heidelberg. ICCA2019 is a milestone on the way to the United Nations Climate Summit in September 2019 in New York City. As an accompanying event, the Climate Neighborhoods takes place at the same time in May. This is where climate activists from all areas of society come together. The youth gets a discussion forum at the “Youth Climate Summit”. With a public accompanying program, the ICCA2019 becomes visible and tangible for the citizens of the city.

Participants at the ICCA2019 press conference:

• Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
• Dr. Andre Baumann, State Secretary in the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy
• Lothar Eisenmann, Managing Director of the “ifeu – Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg GmbH” and representative of the organization team for the “Climate Neighborhoods”
• Prof. dr. Eckart Würzner, Lord Mayor of Heidelberg and President of the European Network Energy Cities.

Date and time: Monday, April 29, 2019, at 12:30

Venue of the press conference
in the room “Energy Outlook” of the public utilities in the building of “adViva”, Eppelheimer Straße 64, 69123 Heidelberg.

The press conference will be followed by a guided tour around the energy and future storage of Stadtwerke Heidelberg from 13.30 to 14.00 hrs – one of the numerous excursion destinations of the ICCA2019. Michael Teigeler, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Heidelberg Energie, explains the major Heidelberg climate protection project. To visit the construction site is recommended sturdy footwear.

Registration
We kindly ask you to register for participation via presse@heidelberg.de

The Federal Environment Ministry, the federal state of Baden-Württemberg and the city of Heidelberg are hosting the International Conference on Climate Action, ICCA2019, on 22 and 23 May 2019. Around 700 local, regional and national decision-makers, key players and experts from around the world will discuss strategies, policy instruments, financing options and specific climate projects in a variety of sectors, all with an eye to the targets of the Paris Agreement. This is the first time worldwide that a conference on this scale is seeking overarching cooperation among all levels of government, relevant societal stakeholders and industry as a basis for effective climate policy. Collaboration and coordination between national, subnational, municipal and local levels is especially important for sustainable development in cities and urban areas. More than half of the world population lives in urban areas, accounting for more than 70 percent of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. ICCA2019 is a key moment for preparing deliverables for the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit in September 2019.

In addition to the main ICCA2019 held in the historical Heidelberg Convention Centre (Heidelberger Kongresshaus), there will also be a number of events in and around the city open to the public and more than 200 attendees. These include local activities in the Climate Neighbouhoods programme, which will take place in parallel to the conference at various locations around the city. Climate Neighbourhoods is organised jointly by ifeu and the Klimabündnis.

Press accreditation: A special link for accreditation will be sent with press invitations to the May conference.

Further information:

• www.icca2019.collaborative-climate-action.org
• www.cn2019.org
• www.bmu.de
• www.baden-wuerttemberg.de
• www.heidelberg.de