20 April 2023 – On April 15-16, the G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Sapporo, Japan concluded with the announcement of the first-ever G7 Roundtable on Subnational Climate Actions in collaboration with Urban7 (U7) – the voice of local governments at the G7 process.

In their final Communiqué, the G7 Ministers for Climate, Energy, and Environment addressed, “the vital role of subnational actors in realizing the transformation toward net-zero, climate-resilient, circular, and nature positive economies, furthering socioeconomic opportunities based on local capacity, needs and individual environmental conditions.” The Ministers committed to, “catalyze support for actions by subnational actors, encourage sharing best practices and promote city-to-city cooperation.”

Representing the U7 Secretariat as Chair of the Global Parliament of Mayors, Mayor Peter Kurz (Mannheim, Germany) said, “We applaud the G7 Ministers for Climate, Energy and Environment’s recognition of the value of multi-level governance and welcome their invitation for the U7 to join the G7 Roundtable on Subnational Climate Actions. Only through open dialogue and decisive partnership like this can we jointly develop the regulatory and financial framework conditions needed to accelerate decarbonization and reach our shared climate goals.”

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