Mayor welcomes climate action delegation to Guildhall

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Sandra Duffy, welcomed representatives from the municipality of Valongo, in Portugal, to the city last week as part of Derry and Strabane's involvement in the Covenant of Mayors 2022 Expert Missions.

During the two-day visit representatives from the Council and other local partners, shared local perspectives and experiences of climate action and learned about initiatives in Portugal.

The cities and partners of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy share a long-term vision of supporting voluntary action to combat climate change. The network works together towards a resilient and low-emission society.

During their visit the delegation had the opportunity to hear about the development of some of the key climate action projects being progressed by Council including the Acorn Farm, The Woodland Trust's Wet Woods Project and the plans for a local DFI Living With Water programme.

The Portuguese guests shared details of their Urban Agricultural Lab and the local participatory process take they have under-taken in Valongo.

Speaking after the meeting, Mayor Duffy said: "I was delighted to welcome the delegation to the city to find out more about environmental initiatives that are making positive changes in Portugal. These shared learnings will ensure that a unified approach is being taken to climate action, making any interventions more effective and allowing us to enhance and refine our own approaches within Council's Green Infrastructure Plan."