• 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 Valle de Aburrá, in Medellín.

The global Urban LEDS project has launched a call to Colombian cities to address the climate issue in their urban planning. The announcement was made during the launch event “Sustainable and Low-Carbon Cities in Colombia,” held by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), the Aburrá Valley Metropolitan Area (AVMA), and the Municipality of Medellin, on February 28.

The announcement was made a few months after the last United Nations Conference of the Parties on climate change – COP23, which called for greater commitment from nations and cities to curb GHG emissions, as well as the rise in global temperatures. Cities are increasingly taking a leading role in raising ambition and taking measures to reduce emissions in sectors such as energy, transport and mobility, urban waste and industries.

To support the implementation of the Urban LEDS project and other global initiatives in Colombia, the inauguration of the ICLEI 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 proposals, which will open in March. Six Colombian municipalities will be chosen and, once selected, will participate in international cooperation activities, training, and capacity building with unique methodologies to integrate climate change strategies across all sectors of urban planning and development.

In Colombia, the initiative seeks to achieve greater compatibility between instruments and tools for territorial planning and actions to address climate change. Furthermore, the project will allow cities to conduct a comprehensive assessment of their current state 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, which has already been implemented in 29 cities in 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 will receive a total investment of 8 million euros worldwide.

The call for applications will open in April, and the selected cities will be announced in May.

See the presentations: 

• Urban-LEDS II – Accelerate 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 that the local entity takes the lead on the climate change agenda, because we understand that the global climate is related to local problems, and local efforts are related to the global solution. The Urban LEDS project undoubtedly arrives at the right time in Colombia, because many of the country's territories are on this low-emission path. (…) We invite the territories that believe they have the possibility of following this project and that have the installed capacity to do so and that are linked to this process of low-carbon development strategies, because, without a doubt, it is one of the main paths to sustainability, present and future of the territory.“.

Rodrigo Perpétuo, Executive Secretary of ICLEI South America – “The Urban LEDS project is strategic for ICLEI, as 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 phase, it uses the framework of the Paris Agreement and other global sustainability agreements as a basis to accelerate implementation, through business models, financing 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 climate change mitigation and adaptation processes in Colombian cities is high. The results of the launch and strategic planning activities of the Urban LEDS project, which were carried out in conjunction with the participants, reflect the determination of a large number of actors with the intention of promoting integrative, resilient, and visionary development for Colombia. From 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 SectionCooperation Agreement 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 behind installed capacities that will contribute to the country meeting its emissions reduction targets.”.

 *Note updated on March 29th. Updating the call for applications period.