The coalition sent a powerful message to world leaders that state and regional governments would not wait for a global deal but would work with businesses to act on global warming, safeguarding future jobs and growth. Ministers and representatives from 15 states and regions from Europe and around the world attended the event, representing The Climate Group‟s growing international alliance of subnational governments which accounts for 360 million people and a combined GDP of over USD$10.5 trillion.
France’s Brittany region and Spain’s Basque region also joined the Climate Group as full members to work more intensively on different joint programs. The sub-national coalition held high-level talks with business leaders from major companies and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer at the event. In the joint Bonn Statement presented to the United Nations, regional governments called on world leaders to recognise the vital role being played by business and the world‟s states, regions and cities as low carbon technology laboratories.
The statement underlined the fact that 50-80 per cent of the action needed to tackle global warming will be made at the subnational government level. Representatives pledged to meet as a group at COP16 in Cancun to report back on the commitments made in Copenhagen and to further advance the deployment of critical low carbon technologies in their regions. These include electric vehicles, LED lighting, solar and other renewable technologies, carbon capture and storage (CCS), building efficiency, waste management and smart grids.
Yvo de Boer, UNFCCC Executive Secretary says: “"Business and government at regional and city level have a critical role in developing, scaling up and applying low-emission technologies at the frontline. Their leadership, based on past experience gives national governments clear case studies of what works in practice and their new ideas are essential to stimulate investment and innovation."
Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, says: “Since Copenhagen, it is again the world‟s subnational governments who continue to lead their national counterparts in united climate action. They know there is no such thing as a high-carbon, low cost economic future and are rapidly becoming diverse laboratories for low carbon innovation for millions of citizens. This is good news as the world‟s states, regions and cities will do most of the heavy lifting required to overhaul the world‟s outdated high-carbon, high-cost infrastructure. What is critical is that the remaining months to Cancun must start a “race to the top” at every level of government to guarantee a prosperous low carbon economy.”
Christa Thoben, Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy (North Rhine Westphalia) says: “A worldwide binding climate protection agreement is the only way to ensure that not only the signatories to the “Copenhagen Accord” but also all participants of the world climate summit will effectively implement the targets agreed upon. And in this respect the regions play a vital role in the realization of ambitious climate protection targets.”
Further meetings of The Climate Group‟s States and Regions alliance will take place at Climate Week in NYC and at COP16 in Cancun, Mexico.
The Bonn meeting was attended by representatives from Scotland and Wales, the French regions of Brittany, Île de France, Rhône-Alpes; German Bavaria; North Rhine Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg; Upper Austria; Spanish Aragon, Basque Country and Catalonia regions; and South Australia. Representatives from the Canadian state of Quebec also participated in the event to bolster important trans-Atlantic dialogue. To encourage new North-South partnerships between developed and developing regions, representatives from the State of São Paulo attended.
