Delivered by Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities
20 November
My name is Mark Watts, I’m the Executive Director of C40 Cities, and I am speaking on behalf of the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities constituency.
We commend national governments and fellow observers for advancing efforts to reduce inequalities and promote decent work through climate action under the Just Transition Work Programme. This is a key priority for our diverse membership, including municipalities, states, regions, cities and subnational networks.
As those closest to residents, with local knowledge and powers over key climate sectors, subnational governments are vital just transition implementers. They use their powers to expand clean energy access, support green jobs and skills creation, especially for marginalised residents, while engaging directly with communities, workers, and businesses. With the right support and recognition, they can be crucial partners to national governments in delivering just transition pathways.
Subnational just transitions are already underway. Examples include Warsaw addressing energy poverty in low-income social housing, Rio de Janeiro engaging with informal waste workers to improve their working conditions, Los Angeles facilitating local social dialogue during the process of closing oil rigs, and the State of Lagos cushioning the impacts of removing fossil fuel subsidies.
The LGMA appreciates Parties’ explicit recognition – shown over the past two years in the Dialogues, reflected in the reports, and reiterated here at COP30 in the contact group discussions – that the engagement of subnational governments is essential for advancing just transitions at both global and national levels.
However, to leverage fully the powers of your subnational counterparts, I urge the Parties to recognise the role of subnational governments in designing and delivering just transitions in the final just transition outcome, including in any new institutional arrangements.
This recognition should lead to strengthening multilevel partnerships for a just transition, aligning with CHAMP commitments, and will be critical to ensuring that this COP is the ‘COP of Implementation’.
Only by working together can national and subnational governments accelerate the transition and ensure equitable benefits for local communities and workers.
Thank you.
