The Australian Local Government Association is partnering with ICLEI Oceania to help councils tackle global warming and plan for a sustainable future.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed this week commits ALGA and ICLEI Oceania to work at boosting information and tools available to local governments.
This work will encompass:
- Awareness-raising and promotion of effective climate action;
- Capacity-building and training for councillors and officers; and
- Linking with international campaigns and programs such as the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and the current Cities Race to Zero and Cities Race to Resilience campaigns.
ALGA President Linda Scott welcomed the MOU, saying councils are already playing a key leadership role in building climate change resilience into the future.
“Councils are ideally best placed to help local communities adapt to the challenges of global warming as well as minimise its impacts, Cr Scott said.
“This collaboration will enable ALGA and ICLEI to align and tailor their climate policies and priorities and provide a coordinated package of support to councils,” she said.
“It’s through partnerships and collaborations like this that local government can better meet community expectations for reduced carbon emissions, greater energy efficiency, and improve heat adaptation strategies.”
In other ICLEI Oceania news, the organisation is inviting councils to consider joining a coalition of Australian and global cities advocating for stronger action on climate change.
Opportunities for councils to collaborate locally and internationally towards, at, and beyond the International Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in December include:
- Better Futures Australia Declaration;
- Cities Race to Zero Campaign; and
- Cities Race to Resilience.
The first is a national campaign for Australian councils to join with leaders across society and the economy to publicly push for more ambitious climate action, to ensure Australia is on track for a climate-resilient zero-emissions future.
The second is an international campaign, supported by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (NFCCC) and the UK government, for local government to showcase climate leadership and gain international recognition at COP26.
Cities Race to Resilience is a global campaign to mobilise action on climate resilience ahead of COP26 which calls attention to the urgent need to build global climate resilience in a way that prioritizes people and nature and enables vulnerable communities to thrive.
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