The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy announced that the Met Council has earned two of nine “badges” for the climate work we’ve done so far.
In 2020, the Met Council was invited to participate in the Global Covenant of Mayors as a regional agency. Our participation commits us to a variety of actions within a three-year time frame, many of which we were already taking. For example, we:
- Created an assessment of regional climate hazards and vulnerabilities
- Are completing a greenhouse gas inventory and climate scenario planning tool for local governments and our own use
- Are creating an internal Climate Action Plan with ambitious goals and strategies to further reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate changes.
In turn, we receive technical assistance and can learn from what our peer regions are doing.
“This is an exciting partnership that raises the profile of our climate work and gives us momentum and support as part of a worldwide movement of cities and regions to tackle the challenges of climate change,” said Council Chair Charlie Zelle.
Cities and regions committing to the covenant agree to advance climate action in three key areas: reducing greenhouse gas emissions; identifying — and adapting to — the risks associated with climate change; and increasing access to clean and affordable energy. The Met Council submits data twice a year to demonstrate our progress on the goals.
The Global Covenant of Mayors is a broad international alliance committed to climate leadership, building on the pledges of more than 10,000 cities and local governments from six continents representing more than 800 million people worldwide.