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is shaped by what we do today.” These true words are refected in the spirit of the Next steps
Local Government Climate Roadmap, calling on all local governments to commit to Under the patronage of Francois Hollande, President of
and engage in climate change mitigation and adaptation. A key step in this process France and with the support of French Prime Minister
is also to report: to share commitments, action plans and outline climate action in the Jean Marc Ayrault, the World Mayors Summit on Climate
reporting platform created for local governments - the carbonn Cities Climate Registry Change 2013, Nantes was a success. Yet it is also only
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(cCCR) . one stepping stone, albeit an important one. It is a
foundation for the new phase of the Roadmap, which will
We know that climate change mitigation is essential in order to reduce the release of accompany the UN negotiations to adopt the necessary
harmful emissions. We also know that this can very effectively be done in cities. Action climate regime to respond to the climate threat.
is needed: reducing energy waste (energy conservation), optimizing energy effciency
and switching to renewable energy resources – thereby moving away from burning The focus is now on identifying appropriate gateways
fossil fuels and using energy more wisely, regarding it as a valuable commodity. This for cities to access global fnancing mechanisms. In
is an approach that can be taken by all cities around the globe, even in emerging addition, the debate has been started how to link the
economy and developing countries. These are the countries with fast growing urban Nantes Summit results to the larger political context
areas, where it makes all the more sense from a political, security, economic, social, of the outcomes of Rio+20 and the design of global
and environmental perspective to focus on a sustainable, low-carbon development sustainable development in 2015, as well as revisiting the
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pathway. The Urban-LEDS project illustrates this, following a process that guides disaster risk reduction strategies in 2015 and Habitat III
growing cities in Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa, on a low-emission in 2016. A coherent approach is recommended towards
development strategy. sustainable urban development – assisting a holistic and
integrated transformation to low-carbon, climate-resilient
Climate change adaptation is also a reality which city governments need to deal with – communities.
in all parts of the world. Mathew Appelbaum, Mayor of Boulder, Colorado, USA, spoke
of the devastation of his city by extreme weather, and of the urgent need to turn words The approach offered by partners of the Local
into action: “We recently experienced an incredible food, in which a year’s worth Government Climate Roadmap: “Together we are
of rain fell in four days. Events like the one that struck Boulder are becoming more stronger!”.
common all around the globe. It is clear cities are on the frontlines - we are suffering
the impacts of climate change. Because of that we have to be leaders and mitigate
and adapt in the face of climate change. I am delighted and proud to support the
Nantes Declaration.”

1. www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/
2. http://www.iclei.org/worldmayorssummit.html
3. http://citiesclimateregistry.org
4. www.urban-leds.org
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