• Urban LEDS II will receive an investment of 8 million euros in 8 countries over the next 4 years, including Colombia and Brazil in South America;
• Implemented by the international organizations ICLEI and UN-Habitat, with the support of the European Commission;
• ICLEI has just opened a new office in Colombia, hosted by the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley, in Medellín.

The global Urban LEDS project issued a call to Colombian cities to address climate change in their urban planning. The announcement was made during the launch event “Sustainable and Low-Carbon Cities in Colombia,” organized by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley (AVMA), and the Medellín Mayor's Office on February 28.

The announcement came a few months after the latest United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP23 – which called for a greater commitment from nations and cities to curb greenhouse gas emissions and rising global temperatures. Cities are increasingly assuming a leading role in raising ambition and taking action to reduce emissions in sectors such as energy, transport and mobility, urban waste, and industry.

To support the implementation of the Urban LEDS project and other global initiatives in Colombia, the opening of ICLEI's national coordination office in the country was also announced. The Executive Secretary of ICLEI South America, Rodrigo Perpétuo, and the Director of AVMA, Eugenio Prieto, along with representatives from UN-Habitat and the European Union, officially launched the process in the country and invited cities to participate in the call for applications, which will open in March. Six Colombian municipalities will be selected and, once chosen, will participate in international cooperation activities, training, and capacity-building programs using exclusive methodologies to integrate climate change strategies into all sectors of urban planning and development.

In Colombia, the initiative aims to achieve greater compatibility between territorial planning instruments and tools and actions to address climate change. Furthermore, the project will enable cities to conduct a comprehensive assessment of their current status in relation to national and local climate policies and prepare to face challenges in areas such as planning, enabling legal frameworks, financing, and business models.

This is the second phase of the Urban LEDS project: Promoting Low Emission Strategies in Emerging Economies, implemented by ICLEI and UN-Habitat, and supported by the European Union. It was already implemented in 29 cities across 4 countries between 2012 and 2016. Now, four more countries are joining the project – Colombia, Rwanda, Laos, and Bangladesh – in addition to the countries that participated in the first phase, and over the next 4 years they will receive a total investment of 8 million euros worldwide.

The selection process will open in April and the selected cities will be announced in May.

Check out the presentations 

• Urban-LEDS II – Accelerating climate action through promotion of urban development strategies low emissions 
• Cities and Climate Change – NDC Colombia 

Comments

Eugenio Prieto, Director of the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley and National Coordinator of ICLEI in Colombia “It is important for local entities to take the lead on the climate change agenda, because we understand that the global climate is linked to local problems, and local efforts are linked to the global solution. The Urban LEDS project undoubtedly comes at an opportune time in Colombia, because many of the country's territories are already on this path toward low emissions. (…) We invite those territories that believe they have the capacity to support this project and that are already involved in this process of low-carbon development strategies, because it is undoubtedly one of the main paths to sustainability, both now and in the future of the territory.“.

Rodrigo Perpétuo, Executive Secretary of ICLEI South America – “The Urban LEDS project is strategic for ICLEI, given that it enabled the creation and application of a broad and efficient methodology for climate planning from a local perspective in more than 20 cities worldwide in its first phase. Now, in its second stage, it uses the milestones of the Paris Agreement and other global sustainability agreements as a basis to accelerate implementation through business models, financial support, and other measures that will help Colombian cities transition to low-carbon development.”.

Roberto Lippi, UN-Habitat coordinator in Colombia – “The need to accelerate climate action to advance mitigation and adaptation processes in Colombian cities is critical. The results of the Urban LEDS project launch and strategic planning activities, carried out in conjunction with the participants, reflect the determination of a large number of stakeholders to promote inclusive, resilient, and visionary development for Colombia. At UN-Habitat, we express our satisfaction with the interest, participation, and commitment of all participants and look forward to continuing to support them throughout this project.”.

Yamil Abdala-Mesa, Director of the SecçCooperation of the Delegation of the European Union – “We are convinced that this project will facilitate political dialogue between the national and local levels on climate change and will leave installed capacities that will contribute to the country meeting its emissions reduction targets.”.

 *Note updated on March 29. The deadline for the call for applications has been updated.