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It will host and mentor a twinning program with the Greek city of Piraeus, with which it shares similar vulnerabilities: increased temperature extremes and water shortages.

Antonio Navarro: "Through cooperation between cities, social commitment and the exchange of knowledge and strategies, we will be able to adapt our cities in order to cope with the effects of climate change."

Murcia has been selected from more than 60 European cities applying to participate in the twinning program between cities in the fight against climate change.

This program has been boosted through the European initiative Mayors Adapt, to which Murcia joined in 2014.

The Mayors Adapt initiative aims to take measures to adapt cities and raise awareness among citizens so that they can and will mitigate the effects that climate change is bringing with them.

The Greek city of Piraeus has been chosen city to twin with Murcia since both share similar vulnerabilities: increase of extreme temperatures and shortage of water.

Murcia will host the technical meeting between the two cities in which they will exchange experiences on the process of adaptation to climate change, the challenges encountered and ways to overcome them.

Murcia, which has already launched its roadmap against climate change to develop its Adaptation Plan, will play the role of mentor city.

The meeting, scheduled for next January, will also be attended by a representative of the Office of Mayors Adapt.

Together with Murcia and Piraeus, this second edition of the twinning program also includes:

• Isola Vicentina (IT) city of Agueda (PT) and Andrano (IT) - focused on flood prevention

• Seville mentor city of Thessaloniki (GR) and Braga (PT) - with the theme of governance in water management

• Exchange of good practices between Bratislava (SK), Bremen (DE) and Arnhem (NL) - focused on the planning of adaptation mechanisms, involvement of relevant actors and cities as islands of heat.

Leadership and commitment

Murcia became one of the first cities in Spain to commit to 20-20-20, which consists of reducing its energy consumption by 20%, increasing the use of renewable energy by 20% and reducing emissions of effect gases Greenhouse also in the same proportion, 20% by 2020.

The City of Murcia, through ALEM, its Local Energy and Climate Change Agency of Murcia, under the Department of Urbanism, Environment and Huerta "once again demonstrate its leadership and commitment in the field of energy efficiency and fight against change Climate, "said Councilman Antonio Navarro, who points out that" Europe is once again recognizing this effort by giving Murcia an active role as a mentor city in the exchange of knowledge and good practices. "

In this regard, Navarro recalls that Murcia has also joined this year to the European Pact of Mayors for Climate and Energy, which seeks to unify in a single program the commitments acquired for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and Implementation of an Adaptation Plan.

Antonio Navarro stresses Murcia's participation in this twinning program because "through cooperation between cities, social commitment and the exchange of knowledge and strategies we will be able to adapt all of our cities to face the effects of climate change."

In addition, the councilman recalls that being able to adapt to the effects of climate change can "first reduce its cost and the damage to society;

Second, to improve the quality of life and preserve natural resources;

And, finally, stimulate economic regeneration. "

Source: Ayuntamiento de Murcia