The IUC programme in the United States is working closely with four regional/metropolitan-scale climate leaders to develop Climate Action Plans through regional coordination and cooperation.

Elected officials and executives from the four selected GCoM USA ‘Metro-scale Climate Leaders’ – namely, the Chicago Metropolitan Region, the Denver/Boulder Region, the Kansas City Region, and Metropolitan Washington – joined staff from the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) Secretariat and the European Union at the U.S. National Conference of Regions, hosted by the National Association of Regional Councils. The session explored the critical role that metropolitan and regional organisations can have in fostering resilience, through case studies from the US and the European Union (EU).

Presenters and panellists at the session reflected the unique ability of cooperative "Councils of Government" (CoGs) and Metropolitan Planning Organisations (MPOs) to act on climate change, build resilience and plan for the impacts of a changing climate.

Recent climate events in the US have shown that the cost of inaction can be catastrophic and increasingly local economies are dependent on effective climate planning and action. At the same time, many of the solutions to reducing regional greenhouse gas emissions can be led by regional cooperation, which also offers economic benefits.

The GCoM and the EU are also currently working with the four ‘Metro-scale Climate Leader’ regions in the US to help foster ambitious climate action. By connecting regions all over the world to work together, the GCoM aims to accelerate action on this issue and bring environmental, social and economic benefits to US regions and cities.

For additional insights on why these regions are leaders with respect to climate action, read the Kansas City GCoM Case Study here.