Climate in Euro-Mediterranean cities: key areas and next steps in the run-up to COP 27

CREAF and CIDOB are organising, with the support of Barcelona City Council, the workshop 'Boosting Euro-Mediterranean Urban Climate Action in the run-up to COP 27', to debate the key areas and next steps for climate action in the cities of the Euro-Mediterranean region. The session, which takes place at the end of October, aims to foster a science-informed and shared dialogue between representatives of research centres, city networks and intergovernmental organisations, against the backdrop of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change 2022, COP27 (taking place from 6 to 18 November 2022 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt).

The event aims to promote joint climate action in the Mediterranean with a focus on the city, as one of the priorities of COP27 is adaptation to climate change and the financing it entails.

The meeting is structured around two panel discussions: on the one hand, climate change adaptation and financing and, on the other hand, the challenges posed by rapid urban growth. The event is a unique opportunity to promote joint, city-centred Mediterranean climate action, as one of the priorities of COP27 is adaptation to climate change and the financing it entails.

CREAF will be represented by its scientific coordinator, Alicia Pérez-Porro, who will also represent the research centre at COP27, to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt). CIDOB will be represented by the Director of the Global Cities Programme, Agustí Fernández de Losada, and the Senior Research Fellow of the same programme, Ricardo Martínez. Also taking an active part in the debate are Inés Duarte, Director of Projects, Energy and Climate Action at the Union for the Mediterranean; Karim Elgendy, Associate Member of the Environment and Society Programme at Chatham House; Priscilla Negreiros, Director of the Cities Alliance for Climate Finance, Climate Policy Initiative; Carolina Pérez, Project Manager, MedCities; Bàrbara Pons, Commissioner for Agenda 2030, Barcelona City Council; Rosa Suriñach, Partnerships Coordinator, Advocacy and Outreach, UN-HABITAT Global City Resilience Programme, and Maryke van Staden, Director, ICLEI carbonn Climate Center.

Necessary urban cooperation

The discussion day 'Boosting Euro-Mediterranean Urban Climate Action in the run-up to COP 27' aims to put the spotlight on the necessary transnational cooperation to boost urban policies for sustainable development, to mitigate climate and environmental risks in cities and to promote realistic solutions. Around 70% of the population of the Mediterranean region lives in urban areas, which are the main emitters of greenhouse gases, and are located in a sensitive area: the Mediterranean Sea is warming 20% faster than the global average and the wide region it affects is a hotspot of climate emergency.

Moreover, Mediterranean cities are particularly vulnerable to climate change. They are largely located in coastal areas, attract large populations and are directly exposed to extreme weather events such as floods, sea level rise, droughts and heat waves. On the other hand, some urban centres in the southern and eastern Mediterranean are not very resilient to climate emergencies due to their weak regulation of sun use, inefficient water and energy management, and the low presence of electric mobility, among others.