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In a joint statement, Sala and Raggi explain how the post-Covid-19 recovery is crucial in tackling the climate emergency, reducing inequalities and supporting cities and local administrations.

The document, which will be shared today with the Italian Presidency of the G20, places the "green and fair recovery" at the top of the Urban 20 agenda and calls on the G20 countries to use recovery funding in order to continue, and not hinder ambitious and equitable climate action ahead of COP26.

In attached the statement from the Urban 20 co-presidents

Milan, March 9 2021 – Today, mayors Giuseppe Sala and Virginia Raggi issued a statement asking the G20 to promote a green, fair and local post-Covid-19 recovery. In fact, it is the cities of Milan and Rome that this year, in the month of June, will jointly preside over the Urban 20 summit, the citizen diplomacy initiative that brings together the cities of the G20 member states, coordinated by the C40 Cities and UCGL network (United cities and local governments), to discuss global economic, climate and development issues.

The statement from the Mayors of Milan and Rome, which will be shared with the Italian Presidency of the G20 today, presents a vision of how the recovery from Covid-19 must effectively address the climate emergency, reduce inequalities and support cities and local governments to achieve these objectives.

Recalling the "double responsibility" of the G20 countries in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and also the climate emergency and underlining that "the most significant test of any government's commitment to climate action at this time is to indicate where funding for the recovery from Covid-19 will be directed", Sala and Raggi explicitly ask the G20 countries to ensure that the recovery plans are:

greens: it is necessary to promote green incentive packages, stopping financing all forms of fossil fuels; investing in public transport and creating more sustainable food systems, building cities that integrate nature and maintaining Official Development Assistance (ODA) at 0,7% of GDP;

righteous: we need to plan fair recovery plans, directing at least 40% of climate investments to disadvantaged communities; increase women's participation in the workforce, support essential workers and ensure equitable access to vaccines across all nations;

local: we need to make the recovery local, basing it on the provision of local public services, dedicating incentive packages to cities and including at least 30% urban projects in national recovery plans.