Mayor Aki-Sawyerr: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 04 November 2021:
On my third day at COP 26, I started the day at the Climate Breakfast with Mayors: a dialogue with John Kerry and Norman Foster where discussions focused on how politics and design can shape cities in different ways.
This was followed by the inaugural session of the Council on Urban Initiatives which I joined virtually.
The session was an opportunity to get to know other Council Members, discuss the fundamental challenges facing cities, and establish coalitions for future advocacy and change at the highest levels of the UN and international community.
I then held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Abdulla Al Basti, Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Dubai.
In the afternoon, I participated in the Beat the Heat: Cool Cities for a Cooler Planet session at the Nordic Pavillion hosted by the United Nations Environment Program. Discussions highlighted the need for climate action to use sensible strategies to counter extreme urban heat in comprehensive ways. Photo above.
I then joined the Mayors of London and Barcelona and COP25 President Carolina Schmidt in the Cites Race to Zero discussion hosted by C40 Cities, where I serve as a vice-chair on the Steering Committee.
This session focused on the role and impact of more than 1000 cities joining the Race to Zero and showcased transformative and innovative city climate leadership.
The final session of the day was at The New York Times Climate Hub event alongside Kathy Baughman-McLeod, Senior Vice President and Director, Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center at the Atlantic Council; and Jason Fargo, Critic at Large, The New York Times.
Together we discussed climate solutions and opportunities for collaboration between private and public sectors to put such solutions into practice.
Editor’s Note
In another development this week, the London Evening Standard published Mayor Aki-Sawyerr’s message – “resources are urgently required to fund climate action in the Global South.” (Please note reference to Andersen Consulting in the story which should read Arthur Andersen).
Read the London Evening Standard story here:
I am impressed with the outstanding representation of our nation by Mayor Aki-Sawyer at COP 26.