The commitment of Lebanese cities towards setting up the SEACAP Support Mechanism (SSM) to address climate challenges in Lebanon.

On June 20, 2023, the Clima-Med project held a workshop in Beirut on “Developing the SEACAP Support Mechanism (SSM) in Lebanon”, gathering representatives from the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, the Ministry of Environment, mayors and presidents of local authorities and unions of municipalities, NGOs, as well as and from the Lebanese University.

The workshop aimed at:

• Exploring the SSM’s crucial role to support cities’ initiatives when facing Climate Change challenges; and the best ways to provide necessary resources, expertise, and coordination to enable the implementation of such initiatives.
• Fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration potentials among participants, who represent key actors by sharing experiences, insights, and best practices, learning from each other’s and reciprocating successful endeavours and best practices to guide future actions and partnerships.
• Agreeing on a Road Map to institutionalise an operational and effective SSM within the various municipal and governmental entities.

Firstly, the participants strongly demonstrated their commitment to implementing the Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SEACAPs), which were developed for their cities with the support of Clima-Med.

Throughout the workshop, they emphasised and agreed upon the significance of the SEACAP Support Mechanism (SSM) in effectively assisting cities and its building up through a number of steps:

• Designing the SSM’s practical framework, content, function and governance mechanisms.
• Providing the necessary TA guidance, resources, and coordination to overcome limitations regarding financial resources and technical expertise.
• Building bridges connecting cities to national and international funding and collaborative knowledge-sharing platforms for best practices.
• Helping cities understand and prioritise climate challenges, develop robust policy and regulatory frameworks, coordinate intergovernmental efforts, and foster collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
• Facilitating capacity building, empowering cities to acquire the technical skills and knowledge required to implement climate initiatives successfully.
• Embedding the Covenant of Mayors for the Mediterranean, CoM Med, initiative within the SSM role and structure.

After an enriching day, the workshop met its objectives, and participants agreed to the framework, function, and governance set-up of the SSM as a stand-alone entity that the municipalities will lead; Its progress will be monitored and evaluated by the National Authorities, whose role will be regulatory.