The new integrated Covenant of Mayors on Climate and Energy was officially launched yesterday (Oct. 15) at the European Parliament in Brussels, with hundreds of cities representatives in attendance. Bringing together the objectives of the Covenant of Mayors and Mayors Adapt initiatives, the Covenant of Mayors on Climate and Energy will focus on three pillars: the 2030 horizon, the integration of mitigation and adaptation, and the international dimension.
The new Covenant was created as a follow-up to a recent consultation conducted by the Covenant of Mayors Office and the European Committee of the Regions, where 97% of cities surveyed called for a new target beyond 2020, and a majority supported the integration of mitigation and adaptation goals. Following this process, signatory cities now are invited to pledge support to the new EU 2030 target of at least 40% CO2 emissions reductions by 2030, a joint approach to addressing mitigation and adaptation, and the global extension of the initiative.
For the complete article, please see Climate Observer.
It’s official: India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2021-22. Previously, the country has adopted a cautionary approach towards climate security. While it may not significantly shift its positions, global realities may trigger more openness, with an eye on multilateralism, rule of law and fairness.
75 years ago, the UN was born. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the UN looks back at several important achievements, but much work on persisting challenges still lies ahead. Increased UN engagement in three areas can make the region more resilient to future challenges.
Conflicts connected to water-security are often related to climate change issues. However, the link between water-scarcity-related risks and security challenges is not as straightforward, direct and immediate as often perceived. The online workshop ‘Mobilising decision-makers on water scarcity-induced conflict risks: The Water, Peace and Security Partnership’, organised by the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO) and adelphi, looked into this complex relationship.
Insecurity is plaguing north-western Nigeria, due to persistent herder-farmer tensions, rising crime and infiltration by Islamist militants. Federal and state authorities should focus on resolving conflict between agrarian and pastoralist communities, through dialogue and resource-sharing agreements, while also stepping up law enforcement.