Today, Regions4 organised the special high-level event The Leading role of regions in raising ambitions for adaptation and resilience as part of the official programme of the LGMA Multi-Level Action Pavillion.

The event had the participation of 12 regional governments and the support of 20 organisations in an open call for action for an effective multi-level partnership with the Parties to the UNFCCC to accelerate efforts on the global climate agenda.

The constituency of regional governments has presented their commitments and innovative solutions, showcasing concrete impacts in their territories and accountability for the resilience of the planet.

The event also set the scene for the launch of the joint statement of regional governments that was born at the regions’ preCOP26 event in Milan “Dialogue for climate action” held on 30 September, with the gathering of 14 regional leaders calling for greater ambition on resilience and adaptation.

The statement highlights the main asks and commitments of regional governments for the COP26, and it calls for multi-level governance and radical collaboration to deliver for climate.

As signatories of the Race To Zero and Race To Resilience, regions call for: ambitious emission reduction targets and pathways to 2030; measurable and coherent actions on adapation; multi-level, solutions-oriented collaboration to become the new normal to combat climate change; and the mobilisations of climate finance based on equity, economic cooperation and social inclusion, among others.

Supporting the statement

Ms Arantxa Tapia, Regions4 President and Minister for Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment of the Basque Country remarked that: “At COP26 regional governments represent 60% of the global economy, our contributions to the global climate agenda are important and so are our expectations for COP26 to declare the multi-level governance as the new normal. It is time to recognise regions’ tailored, integrated and innovative solutions; our partnerships with a wide variety of actors; and our continued efforts to generate new ways of financing the climate action targeting those left behind.”

Mr Raffaele Cattaneo, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Lombardy, stated: “We have to increase our ambition. We ask 5 points: reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and no emission by 2070; raising ambition on adaptation and resilience, NDCs and NAPs must include joint amplified ambitions on resilience and adaptation to ensure the cobenefit for a wider, stronger, social and economic cohesion; driving change towards multilevel governance; mobilise finance for adaptation.”

Read the call to action

The full text of the regions’s statement can be accessed here: EnglishSpanish and French.

It will be open for endorsement until 10 November 2021.

Regional governments and organisations wishing to support the document, please contact Regions4 Climate Action Advocacy Lead, Héloïse Chicou at: climate@regions4.org