The Edmonton Declaration serves as a call-to-action for cities of all sizes to seriously consider the role of scientific research and data in building ambitious climate action plans and prioritize science-based decision-making that reinforces the targets in the Paris Agreement.
The Declaration was a key outcome of the “Change for Climate” Global Mayors Summit that was held in the City of Edmonton on March 4, in advance of the Cities IPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference (March 5-7). The Summit was hosted by the City of Edmonton, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). The event brought together mayors from Canada, Ecuador, United States and India, key members from the science community and the world’s major city networks – C40, ICLEI and UCLG – to discuss the critical role cities play in addressing climate change.
The intent is to bring the Edmonton Declaration to national and international gatherings of mayors, ultimately culminating at the ICLEI World Congress in Montreal (June 19-22) where global mayors will be asked to sign on.
The Declaration recognizes that cities must play a central role in adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change to reduce GHG emissions, given that more than half the world’s population lives in urban areas today and produces more than 70% of energy-related GHG emission. However, despite recent advances, cities continue to face major challenges in measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions and assessing climate risks and vulnerabilities. The Declaration recognizes the need for up-to-date data from cities, towns and regions on their targets, actions and impacts, especially hard data and scientific evidence. It calls for all levels of government to establish, implement and maintain GHG inventories, targets, action plans and reporting mechanisms consistent with the Paris Agreement and commitments made through Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy and provide that data to the global community. This includes formal, rigorous processes to understand and minimize the GHG emissions caused the consumption of goods, services and products within their boundaries and along the full supply chain.