#Stocktake4ClimateEmergency

Stocktake4ClimateEmergency Outcomes Report: Available now!

Read the 2023 Stocktake4ClimateEmergency Outcomes Report to hear key discussion points from the 20+ local stocktakes and how those outcomes were shared at COP28.

Local Stocktakes at COP28: Key Messages

  1. Local stocktakes can accelerate community engagement in the implementation of climate emergency declarations adopted at the municipal councils or regional parliaments. Local stocktakes can be an inspiration for other multilateral agendas (ex: SDGs, biodiversity, food) by accelerating multilevel collaboration and citizen engagement.
  2. Local stocktakes can support operationalization of CHAMP and provide a dialogue mechanism for multilevel consultation in NDC preparation and implementation towards COP30 in 2025.
  3. The UNFCCC should incorporate local stocktakes in the GST final outcomes, similar to the language in pgph. 6 from 2022 SB56. Cities and regions should continue with local stocktakes annually to continue local connections to the global climate agenda. These annual local stocktakes can also supplement the GST, which occurs every 5 years and may not be quick enough to respond to the rapidly-evolving climate crisis.

About the local and subnational stocktakes

Under the banner of #Stocktake4ClimateEmergency, hundreds of cities, towns, and regions are invited to host events throughout 2023 that provide an official contribution to the Paris Agreement’s Global Stocktake — essentially turning their city halls and regional parliaments into mini-COP venues.

At a local stocktake, elected officials and their constituents ask “Where are we? Where do we want to go? and How do we get there?” across three themes: local ambition, NDC integration, and climate justice.

This page offers all you need to successfully host your own local and subnational stocktake event, ahead of the 2023 UN climate conference COP28 and in the following years.

Your #Stocktake4ClimateEmergency Guide

This Guide and Toolkit offers all you need to successfully host your own local, regional, or subnational stocktake event ahead of the 2023 UN climate conference COP28. The toolkit is available to download as a Zip file below, or in a Google Drive.

Events can be a few hours or a full day. In all cases, they create local ownership over the Paris Agreement and serve to “ground-truth” the stocktaking process with the felt reality of the climate emergency in communities across the world.

Support for Global South Stocktakes

ICLEI, in its capacity as the Focal Point of the LGMA Constituency, supported 13 cities and regions across the Global South to host their local and subnational stocktake events.

Context of #Stocktake4ClimateEmergency within Global Negotations

When the Paris Agreement’s “Global Stocktake”—a process mandated every 5 years to assess the agreement’s progress— kicked-off in 2022, the LGMA constituency convinced the UNFCCC negotiators that this process should also receive inputs from the local, national, and international levels (para.6 of the UNFCCC Conclusion in June 2022, and webcast of the LGMA statement starting at 2:26:55).

LGMA engagement in the Global Stocktake includes speaking at technical dialogues, submitting a Joint Statement on Global Stocktake Outcomes to the GST Co-Chairs (sent 15 September, 2023) and reporting on the outcomes of local stocktake events.

It is time to focus on your national plans, local commitments, and justice

A dialogue on the Paris Agreement’s stocktake at the local and regional level can focus on 3 priorities:

1. Urban component of NDCs: What is included for cities and regions in the current national plans, how can these be operationalized?

2. Local and subnational commitments towards 2030 and 2050: How are local and regional governments acting on their climate emergency declarations and climate neutrality commitments, what are their needs to build their resilience to growing challenges?

3. Climate Justice: Domestically, how can urban poor, disadvantaged communities enjoy engagement in this transformational change and globally, how can intergenerational equity issues can be addressed?

The discussions can be based on the Talanoa Spirit – where are we, where do we want to go, how do we get there? – resulting in very fruitful outcomes in 2018.

“How to Host a Mini-COP in Your Townhall” Webinar

ICLEI’s Daring Cities Virtual Forum hosted a practical “how-to” webinar providing step-by-step guidance on hosting your local stocktake event. Speakers included Des Moines Mayor and former ICLEI President Frank Cownie, Andy from GCoM, Concord Councilor Rob Wheeler, YOUNGO representative Juliet Olouch. Learn from experts in the field and gain insights from cities that have already held a local stocktake.

Connecting the Local Stocktake to UNFCCC Processes

The LGMA is taking stock of urbanization and multilevel action in the climate emergency response, shown to the left and as a PDF (also available in French and Arabic).