Regional bodies will need to deliver Copenhagen Accord

World leaders shifted a great deal of their responsibility to local and regional authorities which have to make Copenhagen a real success, according to the European Union Committee of the Regions (EUCR).

As the COP15 summit did not reach a legally binding agreement at international level, local and regional leaders will have to step in to make it a real success, says EURC president Luc Van den Brande.

He said: "To make the Copenhagen Accord a success it needs committed, bold and real action of regions and local authorities on the ground.

"Without local and regional commitment, the Copenhagen deal will be worth no more than the paper it is written on.

"Now they expect thousands of local and regional leaders to commit their regions, towns and cities and make citizens undertake and accept concrete actions to bring the Copenhagen deal to life and make the real change happen.

"Their responsibility will be not only political, because they will have to explain this challenge to their citizens, but also financial, because they will have to find adequate resources."

Elizabeth Kautz, vice-president of the US Conference of Mayors, added: "Despite the lack of action in 2005 by our government, US mayors moved forward.

"In effect, the mayors of the United States signed the Kyoto Protocol themselves and have pressured the Congress and the President to recognise how critical action is on climate protection to save the planet."