In the coming weeks, over 25 cities and regions will host “local stocktakes” as official, local-level contributions to the first Global Stocktake, set to conclude at COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The #Stocktake4ClimateEmergency initiative incorporates a critical local perspective into the broader UNFCCC Global Stocktake exercise. The Paris Agreement mandates that the global climate community evaluates climate progress and identifies gaps in implementation every five years. Though this exercise evaluates progress at the global level, the UNFCCC also “encouraged Parties and non-party stakeholders to hold events, at the local, national, regional and international level, as appropriate, in support of the Global Stocktake” at the conclusion of the 2022 UNFCCC Bonn Conference (SB56). Local stocktakes will bring “on-the-ground” perspectives to the high-level discussion, given that local governments are at the frontline of climate hazards yet also the ones implementing climate action.
Under the banner #Stocktake4ClimateEmergency, government officials and their constituents can evaluate (1) their local climate ambition, (2) alignment with their country’s national climate plan (otherwise known as Nationally Determined Contribution), and (3) climate justice in their community.
A local stocktake can also be an opportunity to identify synergies or tension in local and national climate policy. City Councilor Rob Wheeler from Concord, New Hampshire, USA shared his community’s experience at their stocktake this summer. Concerning the inclusion of multi-level stakeholders, Mr. Wheeler states that “the local stocktake and participation of our state representative allowed us to consider: Where does state and national policy influence our ability to pursue local policy?”
In addition to providing a facilitation toolkit with step-by-step event materials and hosting a training webinar, ICLEI, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, is also providing event funding for 20 cities in the Global South.
Moreover, the #Stocktake4ClimateEmergency initiative advances youth involvement in local climate processes through a collaboration with YOUNGO, the youth and children’s constituency to the UNFCCC. Nearly all funded cities have committed to incorporating youth in their stocktakes, with a few events even led by youth organizers in collaboration with the municipality administration. Juliet Olouch, YOUNGO Cities Working Group Focal Point, is facilitating a stocktake in her community in Nairobi, Kenya: “youth engagement is not a buzzword. When we participate in the local stocktake process, our potential to drive innovation is unleashed: We bring in fresh perspectives and catalyze transformation that we want to see.”
The outcomes of local stocktakes will be reported at COP28 by ICLEI, in its capacity as the focal point of the Local Government and Municipal Authority constituency to the UNFCCC. This multi-level approach to the Global Stocktake is among a wider focus on cities and regions in UNFCCC processes. The first Local Climate Action Summit, led by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the COP28 Presidency, will bring hundreds of mayors to COP28 in Dubai to speak to heads of state.
List of Local Stocktakes in coordination with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (as of 18 October 2023)
- Utrecht, Netherlands
- Glasgow, UK
- Kenosha, WI, USA
- Concord, NH, USA
- Broward County, FL, USA
- Denver, Colorado, USA
- Saint Paul, MN, USA
- Yarra, Australia
- Bonn, Germany (ICLEI Daring Cities)
- Mogadishu, Somalia
- Baguio, Philippines
- Cape Coast, Ghana
- Lusaka, Zambia
- Makati City, Philippines
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Port Louis, Mauritius
- Rosario, Argentina
- Seberang Perai, Malaysia
- Walvis Bay, Namibia
- Hoboken, NJ, USA
- Pacific Islands Region (Pacific Urban Forum)
- Venice, Italy (European Heritage Forum)
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