Dear fellow ICLEI Members,
It is my great honour to serve as ICLEI President for the coming three years. I am humbled by the trust that has been placed in me, and together with the rest of the Presidium, I will do my utmost to represent the over 2,500 local and regional governments that make up ICLEI, and who are fully committed to building a more sustainable world.
Collectively, we face a daunting task. The world is moving dangerously close to irreversible disruptions in the climate and natural systems that we all depend on. As it stands, the world is falling short of its climate goals. We local and regional representatives see daily the terrifying consequences of inaction, and we know that bold action is the only path forward.
As a network, we are united by our mutual ambition and determination to not only take on, but to overcome, this daunting task. However, if we are to stem the tide of climate change, and address the crises of biodiversity loss and pollution, then more influence and greater funding must be given to the local level. Together, we must amplify our common voice and make sure that we are granted a seat at the decision-making tables.
As local and regional leaders, we meet our citizens and see the consequences of our decisions every day. In our effort to create sustainable, urban communities, we know that our environmental solutions need to be inclusive and not worsen existing inequalities between people. As ICLEI President I will strongly emphasize that if the transition is not affordable, it is not sustainable.
In less than two weeks’ time we will reconvene for the ICLEI World Congress in São Paulo. Two years after our last World Congress in my hometown of Malmö, I am excited to see that so many of you, from all ICLEI regions, will be represented in Brazil. It will be an opportunity to exchange ideas and share our experiences, to gain inspiration for the journey that lies ahead.
I also very much look forward to meeting with my newly elected colleagues in the ICLEI Presidium; First Vice President Ms. Minna Arve, Mayor of Turku, Finland, and Vice Presidents Ms. Marjorie Kauffmann, State Secretary for Environment and Infrastructure for the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and Mr. Mohamed Sefiani, Mayor of Chefchaouen, Morocco. In São Paulo, we will discuss our mutual goal of advancing ICLEI’s agenda worldwide, and devise how we can best support each Member in every region of our network.
Over the years, I have found that local and regional leaders have both the vision and the pragmatism needed to overcome the toughest of obstacles. We know that our fight is a planetary one, and we know what needs to be done. I look forward to working with you all in the coming years, to strengthen our network and deepen our commitment to a sustainable, urban world.
Watch Mayor Jammeh’s message here.
*Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh is Mayor of Malmö in Sweden. She serves as ICLEI President and on the ICLEI Global Executive Committee as chair of the Sustainable, Circular and Innovation Procurement Portfolio.
ICLEI is led by an elected group of local and regional leaders from across our network. Our leadership comprises three main governance bodies elected every three years: The Global Executive Committee (GexCom), the Regional Executive Committees (RexComs) and the ICLEI Council. All eligible ICLEI Members can vote and stand for election.
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