Global Covenant of Mayors: Online Dialogues for Africa and Latin America Regions
Cities are on the frontlines of a compounding global energy crisis, where rising utility costs, unreliable supply, and acute price shocks are felt most directly by local communities. Simultaneously, urban areas serve as the primary engines of both energy demand and decarbonisation.
To support local governments in navigating these challenges, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) has activated its Energy Access and Poverty Pillar (EAPP), under which reporting and compliance are now mandatory for member cities. Grounded in this framework, the session goes beyond pledges to examine real-world implementation.
The GCoM and REN21 will co-host two regional dialogues on the role of cities in the transition to a renewables-based economy, focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa on 8 July and Latin America on 9 July.
Across both Latin America and Africa, rapid urbanisation and climate exposure amplify these pressures, forcing an intense intersection between energy insecurity and deep-rooted economic inequality. This makes an equitable, just energy transition urgent and one that places vulnerable households at its centre.
Energy as a Vehicle for Equity and Urban Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa
As African cities face rising energy costs, unreliable supply, rapid urbanisation and growing climate risks, ensuring equitable access to clean and affordable energy is becoming a critical urban development priority.
This dialogue, co-hosted with CoM SSA, will explore how cities can lead a just energy transition that not only accelerates renewable energy uptake, but also addresses energy poverty, strengthens resilience and supports inclusive economic development.
Featuring REN21 Renewable Energy Champion H.E. Dr. Seleshi Bekele, alongside African mayors, policymakers and private sector experts, the discussion will unpack practical solutions for expanding energy access through distributed renewables, mobilising climate finance, strengthening national-subnational collaboration, and ensuring that the communities most affected by energy insecurity are the first to benefit from the transition.
Participants will leave with actionable insights, peer-learning opportunities and practical guidance to support their city’s energy and climate ambitions.
Energy as a Vehicle for Urban Resilience in Latin America
In Latin America, these energy and climate pressures are compounded by rapid urbanisation, growing exposure to extreme weather events and deep-rooted socioeconomic inequalities. The debate over energy in cities is therefore also a debate about equity, climate justice, urban planning, multilevel governance and the inclusion of vulnerable communities — particularly women and marginalised groups — in the energy transition.
This online dialogue will feature Rosilena Lindo, Senior Fellow at REN21 and former National Secretary of Energy of Panama, who will address cooperation between national and subnational governments and the challenges of advancing energy policy in centralised governance contexts.
Claudio Castro, Mayor of Renca, Chile, and President of the GCoM Mayors Forum in Latin America, will contribute to the discussion on the role of local governments in driving a just, resilient energy transition grounded in the real needs of their territories.
Ana Paula Matos, Deputy Mayor of Salvador, Brazil, and a Member of the GCoM Mayors Forum in Latin America, will also take part. Salvador has advanced initiatives linking renewable energy, urban mobility and energy efficiency — including the recent inauguration of a solar plant at Lapa Station, one of the city’s main transport terminals, as part of a broader public transport electrification agenda that includes support for electric bus charging infrastructure.
The dialogue will address a range of critical topics for the region, including coordination among national agencies, municipal networks and local projects; regulatory barriers that limit city-level action; and pathways to ensure that communities most exposed to energy poverty and climate risk are the first to benefit from clean energy solutions.
Additional themes include distributed generation, urban planning integrated with energy, the use of data to map local needs, cross-level government partnerships and examples of municipal initiatives that connect renewable energy, sustainable mobility, urban infrastructure and social inclusion.
Date: 9 July 2026
Time: 17:00 CEST | 12:00 BRT/ART | 10:00 PET/COT/ECT | 09:00 CST
Format: Online (Zoom)
