Subnational Leaders Call For Action in Mediterranean Regions to Tackle Drought, Wildfire, and Extreme Heat
At COP29, sixteen governments call on Member States to accelerate action and commitments to regions with a mediterranean climate.
Baku, Azerbaijan – Today, at COP29, government leaders from five continents released a joint statement calling on Member States to recognize the importance of Mediterranean bioregions and their common climate impacts.
“The time to act is now, and the state of California is proud to help lead the Mediterranean Climate Action Partnership. With this new commitment, leaders of governments across five continents are standing up for each other and supporting bold action to help our communities become more resilient to drought, wildfire, and extreme heat.”
–Secretary Wade Crowfoot, California Natural Resources Agency“The Government of Catalonia is committed to working with our partners around the world to develop and implement solutions to address the acute and unique impacts of climate change in regions with a mediterranean climate. Together, we must act with urgency to adapt to this new reality where drought, wildfire, and extreme heat are omnipresent threats."
–Mrs. Sonsoles Letang, Director General for Climate Change and Environmental Quality, Catalonia
The launch of the Mediterranean Climate Action Partnership was first announced on December 2, 2023, at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in Dubai. Government leaders from regions in Africa, Australia, Europe, and the Americas signed a Statement of Commitment to establish MCAP, recognizing the necessity of global collaboration to address the impacts of climate change. In June 2024, MCAP held its first annual convening, hosted by the Government of Catalonia, and committed to a set of priority actions on drought, wildfire, and extreme heat.
Regions with Mediterranean climates, characterized by cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers, are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Increased temperatures and sea level rise will magnify these impacts, with more frequent and severe droughts, wildfires, and extreme heat affecting the resilience of communities and ecosystems.
Full Statement Text
Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,
As leaders of Mediterranean bioregions heavily impacted by climate change, we come together to issue a joint statement as world leaders meet at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) annual Conference of Parties (COP) meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan. Geographies with Mediterranean climates experience warming at a faster rate than the global average, leaving them especially vulnerable to catastrophes such as unprecedented wildfires, prolonged droughts, and extreme heat. These disasters are directly responsible for increasing loss of life, threaten the health and safety of residents, hurt economies, damage key infrastructure, threaten agriculture, degrade ecosystems, and destroy biodiversity at a higher rate worldwide.
Launched in 2023 at COP28 in Dubai, with 15 inaugural members representing regions in Africa, Australia, Europe, and North and South America, the Mediterranean Climate Action Partnership (MCAP) has since established shared priorities and begun catalyzing action, working together across borders to protect residents, homes, and regions from these climate impacts. Through MCAP we committed to:
Design and implement multi-hazard projects for resilience and climate adaptation through deep collaboration and capacity building.
Accelerate climate investments at scale, involving the necessary knowledge investments and policy adjustments.
Support and enable science and research that will yield global results for all regions.
As a cohort, MCAP calls upon the UNFCCC and COP29 leaders to recognize the importance of Mediterranean bioregions and their common climate impacts. Resources and programs must be directed to the Mediterranean regions to address these challenges that have reverberating effects globally. Ahead of COP29, we urge Member States to:
Take bold action to limit global warming to 1.5°C. This includes rapidly transitioning to renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, and protecting and restoring natural carbon sinks.
Increase support for Mediterranean bioregions to build climate resilience, particularly in vulnerable coastal areas and water-stressed regions. This should include funding for adaptation projects, early warning systems, and climate-resilient infrastructure.
Enhance cooperation among subnational governments with Mediterranean climates to show the singularity of the impacts of climate change and its link to biodiversity loss and address shared climate challenges, including extreme heat, water scarcity, wildfires, and sea level rise. We must work together to develop regional solutions and share best practices.
Align climate and nature agendas fostering stronger synergies between adaptation, resilience, nature-based solutions, food security, biodiversity protection and restoration, and health.
Ensure greater investment in climate research specific to Mediterranean bioregions to better understand local impacts and inform evidence-based policies.
Prioritize just transition measures to ensure climate action benefits all communities, especially those most vulnerable to climate change impacts.
Demonstrate to the international community the robust and dependable nature of the bioregional perspective in effectively managing the climate and biodiversity crises, while highlighting how a subnational approach enables a more targeted focus on implementing specific, localized solutions.
MCAP member regions will continue to facilitate an enabling environment for global collaboration at the regional and subnational level, in direct response to the international efforts of UNFCCC. By catalyzing efforts across common regions, MCAP will increase the efficiency and management of the global climate crisis. We will work to build resilience and raise our collective voice to encourage ambitious action to adapt to a worsening climate, protecting both people and nature from the impacts that are already upon us. We stand ready to work with world leaders and the UNFCCC to meet our shared imperatives.
Participating Regions
Baja California Sur, Mexico
Biobio, Chile
California, USA
Catalonia, Spain
Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Maroc-Oriental, Morocco
New South Wales, Australia
Occitanie, France
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Rabat-Salé-Kenitra, Morocco
Region of Central Greece, Greece
Santiago, Chile
South Australia, Australia
Tanger-Tetuán-Al Hoceïma, Morocco
Victoria, Australia
Western Cape, South Africa
MCAP is generously supported by The Conrad N Hilton Foundation and The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Contact Information:
For further inquiries, please contact:
MCAP Secretariat
Email: secretariat@medclimate.org
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