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On the road to COP26 >>> Small and medium-sized cities in the driving seat in the race against climate change

Edited on

22 October 2021
Read time: 1 minute

From the 3rd to the 5th of November 2021, 6 European territories making up the URBACT “Urb-En Pact” network, will attend the COP 26 in Glasgow to demonstrate that the cities, from the smaller to the bigger ones, are at the relevant scale to act and fight against climate change. Commitment, action and change are not exclusive roles for world class countries and large cities.

Carrying the voices of the cities and their territory to reveal their potential for action to overcome environmental challenges

In Glasgow, the delegation of around 35 people from 6 cities involved in the Urb-En Pact network (elected reprensentatives, energy experts, technicians, etc.) is determined to share their vision of the role cities have to play in the fight against global warming. A driving, unifying, innovative and mobilizing role. The URB-EN PACT network is committed to carrying the voice of the territories to Glasgow in the framework of the COP26. To be heard, the delegation will participate to the COP26 events dedicated to the topics of finance (November 3), energy (November 4), empowerment, and youth (November 5).

Cities are living labs for change. Already, they implement a concrete, efficient, tailor-made, human-sized transition. Because we are convinced that territories are the relevant action scale, cities aims to federate around the ecological transition and our participation to the COP26 will enable us to promote the absolute necessity of territorial level stakeholder commitment.

The concrete and efficient changes to our way of living have to occur every step of the way, in each single action, no matter where we are, who we are, where we live and what we’re doing. To achieve this, local players are the architects of change, to establish a strong pact so that each and every actor must play their part and each player must act for change.

Inspire, Encourage & Involve

The high point of the participation of the Urb-En Pact delegation to COP26 will be the involvement of representatives to a special event in Glasgow city Hall, for a debate with representatives from the cities of Pittsburgh (USA), Portland (USA), Glasgow (Scotland) with Mike Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York City. They will discuss how to raise awareness among the population, at a time when all actors in society must act to preserve the future of the planet and future generations.