Last week, ICLEI Europe Members Braga (Portugal), Glasgow (the United Kingdom) and Mannheim (Germany), together with Freetown (Sierra Leone), joined the OECD Champion Mayors Week to explore how to “build back better” from COVID-19.
The session – themed “Could the grass be greener beyond COVID-19” and moderated by ICLEI Europe Regional Director Wolfgang Teubner and Aziza Akhmouch, Head of City Division, OECD – focused on turning COVID-19 recovery plans into an opportunity for cities to make their economies greener and to reach their climate targets.
The session examined the variety of strategies cities are developing to achieve an inclusive economic recovery in parallel with environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. Cities have displayed high levels of ambition and demonstrated their capacities to experiment with innovative solution in past years. This panel zoomed in on investments in green urban measures to create jobs, prepare communities for future climate-related risks and set the groundwork for sustainable, long-term economic growth. A recording of the session is available here.
The session was part of the 5th Meeting of the OECD Champion Mayors, which focused on ”Inclusive Growth, Recovery and Resilience in the COVID-19 era”, by inviting ‘Champion Mayors’ to share ideas on: harnessing digitalisation and smart city strategies for more inclusive growth; using the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to guide long-term recovery strategies; and supporting disproportionately affected groups during and beyond the pandemic.
This meeting was convened in light of the 5th anniversary of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth initiative. The initiative helps local leaders make the fight against inequality a driving force in their agendas, and has garnered the support of over 100 mayors since its launch.
This 5th meeting resulted in a pledge by participating cities to support youth through COVID-19, and in the publication of a collection of examples showcasing the evolution of inclusive growth in Champion Mayor cities.
More information about the Champion Mayor initiative can be found here.