Local Governments in the Run-Up to Paris Climate 2015: French perspective by Katia Vladimirova
Pitch
This proposal is based on Local Governments in the Run-Up to Paris Climate 2015 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France
Description
Summary
This seed proposal is a summary of Local Governments in the Run-Up to Paris Climate 2015: From Local Stakeholders to Global Facilitators (2013) created by a Climate CoLab Fellow. We invite other CoLab members to link to this proposal or to use it as a starting point for creating new proposals of their own. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France has not endorsed or reviewed this summary.
This proposal begins by recognizing that climate change poses a challenge to, first and foremost, our social model, our consumption, our lifestyle and work habits. The process of mobilization for the Paris Climate Talks in December 2015 – and the following action – ultimately consists of concrete action at a local level by citizens, companies, constitutional bodies and institutions. Local governments drive such action by initiating, designing and coordinating local projects. The publication offers insights into successful practices in France and builds a proposal for mobilizing local governments to act on climate change. It outlines three key priorities:
Capacity building of local governments to reduce their GHG emissions.
Includes proposals to support French and European initiatives for emission reduction of the local governments, such as National Debate of the Energy Transition, Regional Climate Air Regional Plans, international “climate” experience exchange programs, etc. Also includes proposals to reduce GHG emissions by local governments in developing countries by reinforcing the link between decentralized cooperation and European and national policies and facilitating access to international funding.
Local governments are crucial to mobilization for Paris Climate 2015.
In light of raising climate pessimism, local governments are well positioned to drive remobilization of local inhabitants due to their proximity and concrete on-the-ground action and awareness raising in coordination with state-funded initiatives. This group includes proposals to mobilize locally elected officials with the help of training courses on climate issues and climate policy adaptation (French Environment and Energy Management Agency) and all European events led by the local governments. It also includes proposals to mobilize French society as a whole by focusing on awareness raising and training programs particularly for young people and adolescents (Ministry of National Education), by mobilizing migrants’ associations, and by popularizing the work of local governments on climate change through television series.
Local governments are crucial to negotiations.
At the UN climate talks, local governments are considered one of the nine major groups of civil society and they cannot fully participate in interstate negotiations. As their role is quite important, France aims to support local governments in their attempt to present local climate initiatives during events run by France, and support initiatives to establish networks and high-level groups of leading elected officials, etc.
Which proposals are included in your plan and how do they fit together?
Some proposals, which were already submitted to Climate CoLab, could fit into different elements of this plan. As the frame of reference of this publication put much emphasis on changing peoples behavior and lifestyles, many proposals from :Shifting Attitudes and Behavior contest connect to the ideas of the plan.
For example, with regard to mobilizing society as a whole and youth in particular, a proposal from YNCCC offers ideas on how to link the youth with ongoing climate actions / Youth Innovation on Climate Change: https://www.climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans/-/plans/contestId/1301417/planId/1312802
There are also proposals about awareness raising, which could create synergies with the efforts of this proposal, such as, for example, India's Environment Awareness Mission (Paryavaran Jagrukta Mission): https://www.climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans/-/plans/contestId/1301417/planId/1320168
There is also a place for mutual learning with the proposals submitted as part of Atypical Ideas for Carbon Neutrality 2015 (Sommerville, MA): https://www.climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans/-/plans/contestId/1301402.
Explanation of the emissions scenario calculated in the Impact tab
What are the plan’s key benefits?
The plan aims to address climate change by mobilizing general public through local governments. In addition to state-funded project, it offers an additional outreach and implementation channel to support changes in peoples' lifestyles and behavior.
What are the plan’s costs?
The costs of the plan are unclear - however, it consists of thirty short proposals with responsible agencies, government structures and other stakeholders of national (France) and European levels. Costs for each proposals may be calculated independently by the responsible parties.
What are the key challenges to enacting this plan?
Timeline
There is no clear timeline for after Paris Climate Talks 2015. Yet, most measures proposed are long-term.
Related plans
References
This is a summary of Local governments in the run-up to Paris Climate 2015: from local stakeholders to global facilitators (2013):http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/IMG/pdf/rapport-collect-territ-GB-BAT2-web_cle837311.pdf
By:
Katia Vladimirova
