A few days ago, at the end of January, the representatives of Belarusian cities that have signed the Covenant of Mayors met in Minsk to discuss the effects of climate change and assess risks in different sectors of the economy. The agreement has been signed earlier in October 2016 at the international meeting in Yerevan (Armenia).
The Covenant of Mayors on energy and climate is a project of the European Union. By joining it the cities commit to reduce CO2 emissions by minimum 30% by 2030 and adapt to climate change. Today 17 Belarusian cities are taking part in the initiative.
During the meeting, the cities’ representatives discussed the positive and the negative consequences of climate change, which is undoubtedly a very relevant conversation to have at the moment. A positive fact is the desire of the city authorities to not only adopt a new climate reality and the problem of climate change but also to develop specific policies in this field, which can not take place without public participation.
Thus, the local coordinators of 350.org in Belarus are currently working on engaging the public sector with the discussion within Cities for Life campaign, taking place in Mogilev city. At the moment it seems that the current focus of the government is purely on the adaptation to climate change, whilst the discussion around the mitigation and the preventative strategies still has to be brought to the table.
For more information please get in touch with the EECCA Regional Team or visit the official Cities for Life campaign website cityforlife.org.
