Cities Race To Zero
Cities Race to Zero is a campaign for cities by cities to inspire commitments and action from their peers around the world and channel the best available tools and expertise to help them stay on track with 1.5°C. The objective of Cities Race to Zero is to recruit 1000 cities by COP26.
The Cities Race to Zero is organised by C40 Cities, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), CDP, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the World Resources Institute (WRI).
It is an official partner and the city track of the COP26 Race to Zero, designed to help cities meet the Race’s commitment criteria using the best available tools and expertise available.
The Cities Race to Zero pledge asks that you do the following:
1. Publicly endorse the following principles:
We recognise the global climate emergency.
We are committed to keeping global heating below the 1.5°Celsius goal of the Paris Agreement.
We are committed to putting inclusive climate action at the center of all urban decision-making, to create thriving and equitable communities for everyone.
We invite our partners – political leaders, CEOs, trade unions, investors, and civil society – to join us in recognising the global climate emergency and help us deliver on science-based action to overcome it.
2. Pledge to reach (net)-zero in the 2040s or sooner, or by mid-century at the latest, in line with global efforts to limit warming to 1.5°Celsius.
3. In advance of COP26, explain what steps will be taken toward achieving net zero, especially in the short- to medium-term. Set an interim target to achieve in the next decade, which reflects a fair share of the 50% global reduction in CO2 by 2030 identified in the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°Celsius.
4. Immediately proceed to planning at least one inclusive and equitable climate action as listed on www.citiesracetozero.org that will help to place your city on a resilient pathway consistent with the 1.5°Celsius objective of the Paris Agreement and begin implementation no later than 2022.
5. Report progress annually, beginning no later than 2022 to your usual reporting platform.
ICLEI Oceania is able to provide direct support for local council and cities interested in joining Cities Race to Zero . This includes assisting with Science Based Target, Reporting through the nominated reporting system and improving climate action plans. For more information contact oceania@iclei.org
What are the benefits of joining Cities Race to Zero?
The main benefit of joining the Cities Race to Zero is to gain access to the COP26 Race to Zero but there are many more benefits such as:
● Race to Zero membership: joining Cities Race to Zero automatically makes your city a part of the Race to Zero run by the COP26 Presidency and High-Level Climate Champions and ensures formal recognition for your efforts by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). By bringing a clear focus on immediate action, equity and local coalition building, this campaign will establish our cities as the global leaders and strongest champions of the Paris Agreement and equitable climate action ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.
● Leadership and visibility as part of a global movement capable of changing the world, for example drumbeat of events and announcements leading up to COP26 in Glasgow, Nov 1-12 2021 when new commitments to Cities Race to Zero will be celebrated.
● Endorsements by partners and access to some of their initiatives.
● Access to a range of tools and resources to set or increase the ambition of your city’s science based target and resources to support the implementation of your inclusive and equitable climate action.
What if I am already a member of GCOM Oceania?
The Race to Zero campaign is completely in line with Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) commitments and will not be considered a separate campaign but as a mechanism for raising the ambition of your current mitigation target. You can make the pledge on the Cities Race to Zero website or by contacting GCoM Oceania and you can continue to report your progress through the same CDP - ICLEI Unified reporting system.
