The first citizens of the world's leading energy cities will travel to Calgary this week to sign a landmark accord.

The signing of the World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP) Calgary Climate Change Accord will take place on Thursday during the WECP Annual General Meeting, hosted by Calgary Economic Development.

Lord Provost of Aberdeen Peter Stephen will be among those signing the WECP Calgary Climate Change Accord, which is a commitment from the signatories to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions dramatically over the next 10 years and beyond in all their municipal operations and wider communities.

Some of the world's largest and most influential energy cities are expected to join Aberdeen in signing the agreement, including: Calgary, Canada; Houston, USA; Perth, Australia; Port Harcourt, Nigeria; Stavanger, Norway; San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago; Halifax, Canada; and St. John's, Canada.

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The signing of the accord is one step leading up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December.

The Lord Provost said: "WECP cities are uniquely positioned to support and lead on the phased reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions because of the technical expertise of energy-related firms and institutions operating in and around them.

"The targets being set by the Climate Change Accord are achievable by Aberdeen City Council, which is already working on setting itself even more ambitious targets."

The official signing of the WECP Calgary Climate Change Accord will take place in the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary at 11.15am [Calgary time – seven hours behind the UK] on 8 October.

Aberdeen City Council is already a signatory to a number of other national and international climate change commitments including: the Local Authority Carbon Management Plan; the Covenant of Mayors; the Scottish Climate Change Declaration; and the ICLEI Cities for Climate Protection Campaign.

(GK/KMcA)