1990 | 2020 | 2050
2020 was a significant year – in terms of global climate action as well as for Climate Alliance. It was a perfect opportunity to reflect on Climate Alliance’s path. Where do we come from and where do we want to go?
In 1990, indigenous representatives from Amazonia met with municipal representatives from Germany, Austria and Switzerland for a first meeting in Frankfurt. An excerpt from a working paper of that founding meeting in August 1990 shows that even back then, one thing was clear: “Changes to the global climate have two main sources: emissions from industrial centres of the North and the destruction of tropical rainforests.” The participants passed a resolution declaring a partnership between European cities and indigenous peoples of Amazonia with the aim of protecting the rainforest and the global climate.
30 years later, Climate Alliance looked back on three decades of climate action. With over 1,700 members from a total of 27 countries, it is now the world’s largest municipal network for climate action. Over the last years, public perception of this pressing topic has also changed considerably. In Europe as in other parts of the world, obvious climatic changes have made the topic more present than ever.
The 30th anniversary was thus also an opportunity to look forward and pave the way for achieving 2050’s international climate goals.
