United Nations and NGOs Organize Local Communities to Demand Role in National Climate Change Strategies
ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH, SUSTAINABILITY, SOCIETY & CULTURE
Monday, June 8, 2009
In light of the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference scheduled for December 2009 (COP15), approximately 700 representatives of local governments gathered in Copenhagen for the Local Government Climate Change Leadership Summit 2009. The Summit represents another UN effort to undermine national sovereignty by directly organizing local government leaders to put pressure on UN Member States for action on economic and social issues. The Summit, which took place June 2-4, sought to make “national governments recognize the importance of local action in national climate strategies.” It aimed to ensure the success of these policies through the development of “national-local partnerships.”
The Summit was hosted by Local Government Denmark (LGDK), an organization that works to protect the interests of local authorities in relation to the Danish national government. Summit partners included United Cities and Local Governments, Local Governments for Sustainability, the World Mayors Council on Climate Change, and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions. In addition, the Summit was organized in cooperation with various well-known international organizations including the European Commission, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, and the World Bank.
The Summit addressed four overarching themes, namely Adaptation, Mitigation, Climate Justice, and Access to Finance & Technology. It included sessions discussing the specific needs of both developing countries and industrialized nations.
On the final day of the Summit, attendees adopted an outcome document entitled “Local and Regional Governments Call to the Parties in Copenhagen.” The document expresses the desire of local authorities to take responsibility for addressing the challenges of climate change. Specifically, to combat global climate change, the document calls for legally binding emissions reduction targets to be developed and adopted by States gathering at the COP15; requests that all levels of government (including local government) be involved in both the planning and implementation of climate change policies; stipulates that local governments, particularly those located in low-income countries, be empowered with the resources necessary to “take action at the local level;” suggests that “financial mechanisms” to combat global climate change be directly accessible to local authorities; and calls for “decentralized capacity development initiatives” in regards to the transfer of technology.
According to the Chairman of LGDK, because they are affected by the consequences of climate change, citizens and local authorities need to be a part of the solution. Nevertheless, by directly involving itself in community organizing for climate change policies, the UN effectively undermines the right and ability of each Member State to independently structure and engage in democratic discourse at the local level regarding the international climate change agreements that best serve the entire nation.
Jim Kelly is the President of Solidarity Center for Law and Justice, P.C., a public interest civil and human rights law firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. The opinions expressed herein are his own.
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