4 November 2024

From 3-4 November, G7 Sustainable Urban Development Ministers met in Rome to recommend the formal inclusion of cities in the G7 decision-making process and propose a set of joint actions aimed at advancing urban transformations. Ministers concluded in their meeting outcome Communiqué [1] on the recommendation to recognise the U7, which unites local government networks from G7 nations, as an official G7 engagement group. Despite cities being home to the majority of G7 citizens, local governments are not yet systematically consulted by national governments on critical decisions that affect their communities.

During the meeting, Roberto Pella, Mayor of Valdengo (Italy) and Acting President of the Italian association of municipalities ANCI, and Eckart Würzner, Mayor of Heidelberg (Germany) and representative of the "Deutsche Städtetag", joined the meeting as city representatives on behalf of the U7. They urged the Sustainable Urban Development Ministers to provide local governments with a formal, impactful role in shaping national and international policies. A necessary step for horizontal cooperation and aligning local investment capacities with global sustainability and transformation goals.

Roberto Pella, Mayor of Valdengo, Acting President of ANCI commented: "We thank the Italian Presidency for paving the way to enabling closer cooperation and dialogue with the U7 in the future. The U7 is advocating for stronger urban diplomacy within the G7 because it will accelerate progress toward a more just, sustainable, and prosperous future. Local governments are on the frontlines of tackling global challenges such as climate change and sustainable development. It is at the local level where national policies are implemented and tested, and we need to ensure those policies are practical and effective."

During the meeting, U7 representatives welcomed the recommendation to recognise the U7 as an official engagement group and laid out concrete enabling conditions for cities to play a leading role in the economic and social transformations needed for a sustainable and prosperous future. They especially highlighted the need for facilitating more horizontal cooperation between national and local governments and strengthening local investment capacities. Regular dialogues between national ministries, local and regional governments, the private sector, and financial institutions are a key condition for fostering comprehensive transformation strategies and addressing the public funding gap for climate neutrality efforts locally.

"Our towns are the future,” said Eckart Würzner, Mayor of Heidelberg. “Cities are best positioned to lead their local transformations through holistic actions, but the frameworks we, as city representatives, operate under are often set without our involvement. We are grateful to the Urban Development Ministers of the G7 and the Italian presidency for taking this first, vital step by recommending that cities be consulted more systematically. Formal recognition of the U7 as an engagement group would ensure that cities’ voices are heard on all key issues."

In their Meeting Communiqué, the Ministers committed to establishing a shared understanding of effective urban development policy and unlock the full potential of cities. A dialogue and process to be continued in 2025, when Canada will take over the G7 presidency from Italy with the opportunity to finalise the formal engagement of the U7.

The position of the U7 on “Boosting Progress towards G7 Objective through Sustainable Cities, Urbanization and Multilevel Cooperation [2]" is available online at g7u7.org.

The G7 Urban7 [3] (U7) advocates for a continuous dialogue between the G7 nations and municipal actors since 2022. The U7  is an initiative by national associations and international city networks in the G7 countries. The U7 Group is chaired by the U7 Secretariat consisting of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability [4] and the Global Parliament of Mayors [5] (GPM) as well as the city association from the country holding the presidency of the G7 that year. In 2024, the G7 Presidency is held by Italy and U7 thus the Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani [6] (ANCI) is fulfilling that role in the U7 Group.

About ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability [4] is a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125 countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. ICLEI Europe [7] provides members in Europe, the Middle East and West Asia with a voice on European and international stages, a platform to connect with peers, and tools to drive positive environmental, economic and social change. ICLEI Europe works closely with an extended network of local and regional governments and partners on a broad range of topics.