ParlAmericas launches its interactive resource which maps the environment and climate change strategies and plans of the Americas and the Caribbean during COP26
In her capacity as President of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change (PNCC), Senator the Honourable Rosa Galvez (Canada), presents ParlAmericas interactive resource Environment and Sustainability: Mapping the Strategies and Plans of the Americas and the Caribbean during COP26 in the Parliamentary Webinar Series, hosted by GLOBE International, E3G, and the World Resources Institute. The resource systemizes and compiles the most recent strategies and plans developed by member countries of the region in a centralized location, to provide easy access to parliamentarians as they work to ensure national legislation and parliamentary initiatives reinforce the objectives of the Paris Agreement, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), long-term climate strategies, the integration of gender dimensions, and citizen participation in climate decision-making, among others.
The negotiations that occur at COP26 are intended to generate commitments for more ambitious and inclusive climate action to achieve the Paris Agreement adopted at COP21. To promote the strengthening of parliamentary networks and the integration of parliamentarians in COP26 and UNFCCC meetings, the Parliamentary Group, of which ParlAmericas is a founding member, hosts briefings, coordination meetings, and webinars. As the representative of ParlAmericas at today’s 4th session of the webinar series, Senator Galvez presents the new resource, highlighting that “it is imperative that governments remain true to their targets and that they are held accountable through our parliamentary oversight function to the commitments made under the various international multilateral environmental agreements. This resource provides us, as legislators, a platform to help us easily identify if our country has a strategy in place to meet these commitments, and to help bring awareness on the endeavours of other countries in the region.”
As key actors in forwarding the climate action agenda, parliamentarians have a role to play in informing their country’s negotiation position on international agreements. This resource promotes the alignment of national climate legislation with these agreements and their country’s development priorities. Our recently published Parliaments and the Paris Agreement, also complements these efforts as it highlights global good parliamentary practices for the development and adoption of national climate commitments and offers guiding questions for parliamentarians.
