Delivered by Marjorie Kauffmann, State Secretary for Environment and Infrastructure, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil | ICLEI Vice President
Watch her intervention (1:03:20)
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honor to speak to you today on behalf of the State of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, ICLEI and LGMA.
In May 2024, the state of Rio Grande do Sul suffered the worst climate disaster in its history, a flood that affected 95% of its municipalities.
We know that many cities and regions around the world are facing these climate emergency realities almost every year.
It is crucial that disaster prevention and response efforts are coordinated between the national and subnational levels, with more flexible resource flows for extreme events.
Our climate action plan, with the support of ICLEI, is being developed with and for the 497 municipalities that make up the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The CHAMP Initiative has formulated an interesting model, but for implementation we need financial and technical support.
We welcome the inclusion of the recognition of climate federalism and the CHAMP initiative as a tool to implement the new Brazilian NDC.
For COP29 in Baku, hundreds of cities and regions under the LGMA Constituent Assembly have proposed three demands:
accelerate multi-level action, finance urbanization, and integrate climate action with sustainability.
We need climate finance that focuses on grants, not loans, so that all levels of government can have a just transition.
And we need to build synergies between mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity to create a healthier planet.
The LGMA endorses the COP29 MAP Initiative and the Truce Call.
But we must also ensure that Baku leaves a concrete legacy.
The LGMA calls for the negotiated outcomes of COP 29 to initiate a process in Baku to seize opportunities for sustainable and resilient urbanization for climate action to be presented and agreed upon at COP 30 in Belém.
Only through a multi-level effort will we be able to mitigate the impacts of climate change and ensure a safer and more sustainable future for all.
