MULTI-STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE
LOCAL AUTHORITIES MAJOR GROUP
CSD-14
It is indeed an honour to be at the United Nations, speaking on behalf of
local governments worldwide.
My name is Deputy Mayor Emilio D'Alessio, and I am an elected
official from the City of Ancona, Italy . I am also on the Executive
Committee of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability.
Local governments are key stakeholders in the implementation of
Agenda 21 and the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals,
and are implementing policies, programmes and projects that are
achieving these global outcomes .
Many local governments own and operate power plants and make
decisions on energy sources. Local governments own and operate
buildings, vehicles and facilities such as street lighting, waste
management systems, and water supply and treatment . They also make
decisions on transportation and transit systems. All of these
responsibilities influence energy use, industrial development, air quality
and climate change action, and public procurement .
In the area of climate protection, ICLEI is working with a network of
675 local governments worldwide that have established reduction
targets and are implementing reduction policies. This is significant -
taken together, these local governments account for about 15 per cent of
global atmospheric carbon emissions .
In North America alone, the 300 local governments that are adopting
climate change reduction policies and programs are collectively
reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions by 32 million tons . In terms
of population, that represents 87 million people that are acting to
achieve sustainable development .
Local governments benefit from networks that enable the exchange of
information, provide access to tools and enhance their activities towards
climate change mitigation. Cities around the world are using the tools
and knowledge gained through such networks to contribute directly to
the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions .
Furthermore, the political will to act is there, and growing at the local
government level .
At COP11, local governments presented a Municipal Leaders'
Declaration on Climate Change, stressing the need for collective action
on climate change, and for providing local governments greater access
to the decision-making process .
ICLEI recently established the World Mayors Council on Climate
Change, launched by the Mayor of Kyoto, birthplace of the Kyoto
Protocol. The Council was established to garner global political
leadership on climate change at the local level . This Council is striving
to politically influence national and international policies on climate
change.
Despite these commitments to energy efficiency, clean energy and air
quality improvements, local governments continue to face obstacles that
impede their progress .
National energy policies often do not allow for decentralized energy
systems, and frequently subsidize polluting energy sources .
Infrastructure funding, when available, is often too limited to
incorporate long-term sustainable development goals .
Local governments should be given more opportunity, and more
autonomy, to engage in the Kyoto Mechanisms .
The environmental and economic burden of the automobile is felt at the
local government level. Studies have found that motor vehicle revenues
cover less than half of the cost incurred by local governments to provide
the infrastructure, maintenance and services.
The worlds cities continue to stress the importance of cooperation and
mutual support in the achievement of climate change mitigation .
In the words of Mayor Tremblay of Montreal, Canada, when he
addressed the 11 th session of the Conference of the Parties, "local
governments are having an impact. Please support us, instead of
impeding us ."
Thank you.
