There are 182 cities from across the USA committed to the Global Covenant of Mayors in the Americas (GCoM), an initiative that throughout the western hemisphere, is funded by the European Union. This year, 52 USA cities have received at least one GCoM badge for their progress in actions to adapt to and mitigate climate change.
Data reported by these cities through the CDP-ICLEI Track reporting platform and institutionally validated by GCoM has resulted in 45 municipalities receiving badges for advancing in greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, and 48 for making progress on adaptation to climate change. An additional 15 cities received Compliant badge status for accomplishing all stages in both mitigation and adaptation, thus concluding the development of their complete Climate Action Plan (CAP).
“Cities in the United States have a long history in climate leadership, and yet again we see that the strong commitments taken on in the context of the GCoM have derived into concrete action, with significant progress made on all fronts, despite the Covid-19 pandemic” stated Jordan Harris, Program Coordinator of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in the Americas. “It is especially relevant to point to the progress being made in adaptation, given the increasingly tangible impacts of extreme climate on cities from across the country. The GCoM, with the support of the EU, will continue to support mayors from all committed cities, large and small, in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and in making their local communities and economies more resilient to the effects of climate change,” he added.
“The GCoM in the United States counts on the support of a number of key partners and stakeholders, who provide direct technical assistance to cities and make sure that the voices of local mayors and city planners resonate in the way the GCoM is carried forward in the country. Without their tireless efforts and commitment, such significant progress in this past year would simply not have been possible,” emphasized Harris.
The European Union also celebrated the advances of the initiative. Stephanie Horel, Program Officer for the EU/FPI, congratulated the American cities and highlighted the importance of the work that cities have been doing during this year in the USA. “We hope you understand how important it is to receive this international recognition from the most important alliance of Mayors for Climate in the world. I would like to say a special thanks to the National Coordinators for their dedication and support, and to those citizens who have been behind in this work,” she said.
The Covenant Badging System
GCoM badges symbolize the recognition of the progress made by governments in the active fight against climate change, and represent a mechanism by which the initiatives and progress of GCoM cities are communicated throughout the world.
Throughout the Americas, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy has over 700 signatory cities. This global community of local governments already includes more than 11,700 cities on six continents, representing over one billion people worldwide. The network commits to ambitious action to make a historic and powerful contribution to the global response to the climate crisis.
