COP17 side event: Durban Local Government Convention - adapting to a changing climate, towards COP17/ CMP7
The South African Government, through the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), South African Cities Network (SACN), eThekwini Municipality and the Department of Environmental Affairs have partnered with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability in hosting the Durban Local Government Convention: adapting to a changing climate – towards COP17/CMP7 and beyond.
ICLEI acts as the focal point of the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) constituency to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since 1995, and leads the Local Government Climate Roadmap process since 2007. The SA Department of Environmental Affairs, as the leader of the South African
Government delegation to the UNFCCC, and its local government partners have recognized the need to mobilize the participation of local governments in the COP17/CMP7.
The Convention is strategically timed to take place during the UNFCCC COP17/CMP7 to be held later this year in Durban, South Africa. Building on the recognition of local governments as the governmental stakeholders in the Cancun Agreement, local governments and their associations will convene to elaborate on the outcomes of the Resilient Cities 2011 Congress, focusing on understanding and improving the profile of adaptation as a critical tool in achieving local developmental and sustainability objectives.