During the ARLEM-commission meeting in the framework of the Forum des mondes méditerranéeens, organised by the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Vincent Chauvet focused on climate action from the bottom up.
The Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) is an assembly of local and regional representatives from the European Union and its Mediterranean partners. Taking the stage during the “Climate action in the Mediterranean: on the road to Sharm el-Sheikh”, as European Committee of the Regions rapporteur for the Stepping up Europe’s 2030 climate ambition towards COP26 and as member of the official CoR delegation to COP26, Chauvet focused on local action:
COP26 continued to build a path to sustainability, and I hope COP27 will reinforce this process. The main success factor is citizen engagement and I want to emphasize the important role of semi-formal institutions, such as municipal citizen’s councils, local advisory bodies and citizen’s conventions
ARLEM has made climate action in the Mediterranean a priority in its action plan, and the Committee of the Regions with its ‘green campaign’ proposes to accelerate climate action at the local level because local governments are often more ambitious in their actions and objectives
Local authorities implement 70% of climate change mitigation measures and 90% of climate change adaptation policies. “But our rhythm of adoption of these policies is slower than climate change”.
ARLEM was set up in 2010 by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) together with territorial associations active in this context allowing elected representatives from the three shores of the Mediterranean Sea to represent their local and regional authorities politically, including towards the EU and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM); maintain political dialogue and promote interregional cooperation.
