The Climate Alliance of European Cities

Climate protection in partnership
The Climate Alliance is an association of European cities and municipalities that have entered into a partnership with indigenous rainforest peoples. This worldwide alliance is united by a common concern for the world’s climate. Our climate protection contributions build upon commitment and diversity at the local level. We view our initiative as a part of efforts towards sustainable development and North-South equity.

Our objectives
The aim of the Climate Alliance is to preserve the global climate. In our view, this involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a sustainable level in the industrialized countries of the north, and conserving the rainforests in the south of the planet.Our partnership with the indigenous peoples means that we support their goals. These goals are to attain their basic rights as peoples and to be able to live and work in their natural environment according to their own development concepts. By joining, the member municipalities have committed themselves to certain goals, activity areas and measures. These voluntary commitments are set out in the Climate Alliance Manifesto (1990) and Climate Alliance Declaration (2000).

Our members and their activities
Since its foundation in 1990, almost 1,200 European cities, municipalities and district authorities have joined the Climate Alliance. Regional governments and non-governmental organisations collaborate as associated members. Our indigenous partners are represented by the Coordinating Body for the Indigenous Peoples’ Organisations of the Amazon Basin (COICA). Our worldwide cooperation partner is the International Alliance of the Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests (I.A.I.P.). Both organisations are committed to conserving tropical rainforests and their biological diversity.
The cities and municipalities elaborate comprehensive climate protection strategies and take a broad range of measures for their implementation, notably in the energy and transport sectors. They contribute to tropical forest conservation by undertaking awareness-raising measures and eliminating in local authority procurement tropical timber from destructive logging.

In our view, climate protection begins within the direct sphere of influence of local government, involving cooperation with citizens, associations and companies that goes far beyond our mandatory tasks.

The Climate Alliance is the connecting link between the local level and the international policy processes in the climate change, biodiversity and forest policy arenas. We represent the interests of European cities and municipalities committed to climate protection, and support indigenous organizations in developing positions of their own and putting these positions forward in the international processes.

Structure and coordination
The Climate Alliance was registered in 1993 as a non-profit association. Its institutions are the General Assembly and the Executive Board, the latter comprising elected officials of European local authorities and representatives of the indigenous partners. The Climate Alliance is coordinated by its European Secretariat in Frankfurt am Main with the support of national and regional coordination offices and contact points. The tasks of these offices include disseminating good practice, supporting members by providing advice and initiating joint projects, elaborating guidelines and proposals for action, and evaluating local authority measures and outcomes. This is joined by campaigns and activities for public awareness-raising and information.

For more information on current activities and projects please visit Climate Alliance's website

 

Contact

Climate Alliance of European Cities
European Secretariat
Galvanistr. 28
D-60486 Frankfurt am Main
tel: +49-69-71 71 39-0
e-mail: europe(at)klimabuendnis.org

www.climatealliance.org