Ulrich Kaltenbach, Desk Officer at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Dr. Stefan Wilhelmy, Director of the Service Agency, and Dr. Klaus Reuter, Managing Director of LAG 21 NRW, opened the meeting. They emphasised not only the important role of municipalities for implementing the Paris climate agreement and the 2030 Agenda, but also the huge dedication with which the climate partnerships have already been pressing ahead with climate change mitigation and adaptation for many years.
Day one focused on allowing participants to meet and get to know each other, and on enabling the municipalities to network. This was important, because this international network meeting brought together climate partnerships from four different project phases for the first time since the project was launched in 2011. The meeting thus brought municipal actors from ten countries on three continents face-to-face.
The morning of day two involved intensive dialogue between experts, organised in themed forums. The climate partnerships contributed their expertise in a wide range of fields, including renewable energy and energy efficiency, climate change adaptation and biodiversity, solid waste and waste water management, restoration and reforestation, and sustainable urban development and mobility. Participants shared project ideas and strategies, and went away with suggestions on how to continue developing their work. In the afternoon participants focused on further developing the joint programmes of action of their respective climate partnerships.