Calgary mayor elected vice president of World Energy Cities Partnership

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek has been elected vice president of the World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP) Saturday.

Gondek was chosen by her peers while attending the WECP annual general meeting with the Calgary Economic Development in Norway.

She says she will use her position to bring Calgary’s knowledge and expertise in energy to cities across the globe, as many prioritize shifting to decarbonization.

Her term starts immediately, and she will join the WECP president Jesper Frost Rasmussen on the board, who is also the mayor of Esbjerg, Denmark.

She succeeds Fahad M. Aljubair, the mayor of Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

During her time at the annual general meeting, Gondek also spent time with energy companies, carbon capture companies, and municipal leaders in Norway.

Cities considered energy leaders have engaged with the WECP since 1996, where mayors and officials discuss challenges and opportunities associated with the energy sector and liveable cities.

“WECP cities are home to many of the world’s largest energy companies which are leading initiatives to build a lower-carbon energy future,” the website reads.

Calgary is one of three Canadian cities in the WECP, the others being Halifax and St. John’s. Other cities include Houston, U.S.; Barranquilla, Colombia; Dobe, Japan; Dongying, China; Aberdeen, U.K.; and Perth, Australia.

This year’s AGM runs in Stavanger, Norway, from Aug. 22 to 25.