Why subnational diplomacy can drive climate action

By Anastasia Dellaccio, Director at Sister Cities International

The story of humanity is a story of cities. Most of our history has been written in cities–they have inspired art, wars have been launched over them, and peace has been won and celebrated within them. Cities are centres for knowledge sharing, creativity, and innovation. The connections that come between cities and the people that live within them are an engine which can fuel the new green economy and are essential in developing new solutions to rectify some of the bi-products of climate change, the destruction caused by natural disasters, and the problems that come with increased urbanisation.

This past year marked a monumental breakthrough as representatives from 195 countries gathered in Paris for the COP21 realising a major diplomatic feat by negotiating and achieving consensus on a historical climate change agreement. Sister Cities International was part of a galvanising force along with dozens of other like-minded organisations that banded together as part of Earth to Paris, a movement led by the United Nations Foundation, which helped to raise awareness and support for the However, at this particular convening, it was not only the leaders of these 195 countries making waves, but the mayors who were there representing cities around the world. Groups like C40 and the Compact of Mayors at moments stole the show by working to establish a common platform where cities can work as a collective to capture their impact through standardised measurement of emissions, climate risk, and overall accountability.

Cities’ many businesses, dense populations, and reliance on various forms of polluting transport mean cities’ activities account for more than 70 percent of energy related CO2 emissions, a number which will continue to grow as urbanisation continues to explode across the globe. New buildings will need to ensure they remain green and energy efficient, ailing infrastructure will need sustainable repairs, and as the destruction of natural disasters becomes ever more pervasive, money must be invested to ensure resilience. Cities’ need to reduce pollution has a direct impact on health, health care costs, quality of living, attraction of private capital and human resources. The costs of global greenhouse gas emissions will indelibly continue to weigh on cities as costs are estimated to reach US$80 billion to US$100 billion per year as cities scramble to adapt to the byproducts of climate change.

Because of our networked and integrated world, city programmes can now address emissions beyond their geographical area by working through institutions that bring them together as a collective to share best practices. Organisations like Sister Cities International connect cities around the world so that they can work at subnational levels to not only create innovations from within but to also export them or work with other cities to perfect them. This collaboration is mutually beneficial both environmentally and economically.

Many sister cities share similar environmental challenges and therefore problems faced by cities such as Charlottesville, Virginia, and its sister city of Besancon, France can be confronted as they continue to leverage their partnership to discuss solutions related to the ever increasing threat of natural disaster. Anderson, South Carolina, and its sister city, Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland both share ports that can be economic drivers and potential hazards, and both have shared best practices and are working together to create collective resolutions.

Drivers of innovation like San Francisco and Bangalore have created their partnership around developing sustainable solutions through the exchange of environmental, economic, cultural and research ideas and expertise. Despite this progress, more needs to be done to ensure that cities are continuing not only to innovate but to export their good ideas into actions that are good for the environment and for the global green economy.

The outcomes of the Paris COP21 are paving the way for a new set of global actors, and cities have a major role to play. In this global landscape, national governments may be creating the blue print for the ‘what’ as it relates to climate change, but cities are the entities that will be responsible for taking this blue print beyond a simple foundation and turning it into a soluble and sustainable structure.