MEDCOP21 opens the way forward towards COP21 in Paris

In the context of the XXI UN Conference of the Parties (COP21) that will be held in Paris from the 30th of November to the 11th of December 2015, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) regional government, member of ORU’s Executive Bureau, has organised the MEDCOP21 – Mediterranean civil society forum towards the Paris COP21: towards an inclusive agenda of the Mediterranean stakeholders on the 4th and 5th of June  in Marseille-Villa Méditerranée.

The MEDCOP21 is intended to put together the vision and action taken by the different Mediterranean stakeholders in the context of the new global climate regime, by analysing the adaptation and mitigation measures put in place. The event has been laid down as a step towards the Paris COP21, organised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol with the purpose of reaching a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the planet. Besides the PACA region, two more members of ORU’s Executive Bureau took part in the meeting: the Government of Catalonia and the Rhône-Alpes region.

The Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya) is part of the Organising Committee of MEDCOP21 through the Advisory Board for Sustainble Development in Catalonia (CADS). In representation of CADS, Dr. Maria de Carme Llasat spoke in one of the sessions and presented the main lines of research set in Catalonia on climate change. She presented the Group of Experts on climate change and the process of drawing up a report on climate change in Catalonia. This study analyses in detail the phenomenon and its impact on Catalan society, both on natural systems and on a socio-economic level.

The Rhône-Alpes region, on the other hand, has participated in the Marseille Summit through its Vice-President, Bernard Soulage, who took part in the round table "De la MEDCOP21 à la COP 21 : la parole des collectivités", focused on the contribution of local authorities in the fight against climate change. After dealing with the regional role  and presenting the solutions developed at a local level, Soulage took advantage of the occasion to introduce the World Summit on Climate and Territories which will be hosted by the Rhône-Alpes region next 1st and 2nd of July.