What are local governments going to do now?

At the Durban Local Government Convention, 114 Mayors and other elected local leaders representing over 950 local governments from around the world have adopted the Durban Adaptation Charter, a political commitment to strengthen local resilience to climate change.

The Durban Local Government Convention: adapting to changing climate towards COP17/ CMP7 and beyond, ran in parallel to the UNFCCC COP17/CMP7 and drew over 700 delegates to the eThekwini City Hall.

The Convention was organized by ICLEI Africa, the South African Department of Environmental Affairs, South African Local Government Association (SALGA), South African Cities Network (SACN) and eThekwini Municipality.

What does the Durban Adaptation Charter mean?

By signing the Charter, local governments have committed to:

• Mainstream adaptation as a key informant of all local government development planning,
• Ensure that adaptation strategies are aligned with mitigation strategies,
• Promote the use of adaptation that recognizes the needs of vulnerable communities and ensure sustainable local economic development,
• Prioritize the role of functioning ecosystems as core municipal green infrastructure,
• Seek innovative funding mechanisms, etc.