What is the Covenant of Mayors?
A mainstream European movement
“[…] Mayors are ideally placed to tackle climate change. And it is impossible to overstate the importance of your commitment to this Covenant of Mayors.”
José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission
The Covenant of Mayors is the mainstream European movement uniting local and regional authorities in the fight against climate change and in the implementation of sustainable energy policies. After the adoption, in 2008, of the EU Climate and Energy Package, the European Commission supported the launch of this bottom-up movement which is now endorsed by all European institutions and a large spectrum of stakeholders.
Local authorities play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of climate change, all the more so when considering that 80% of energy consumption and CO2 emissions is associated with urban activity. Alongside regional, national and European levels, cities thus shoulder their responsibility.
The Covenant of Mayors step by step
The Covenant of Mayors is based on a voluntary commitment by signatories (nearly 3000 by mid-2011!) to meet and exceed the EU 20% CO2 reduction objective through increased energy efficiency and development of renewable energy sources.
Within the year following their adhesion to the Covenant, signatory cities commit to submit their Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) describing how they intend to reach the objectives.
In doing so, local authorities strive to respond to a strong social demand for better health, softer modes of transport, more natural areas in the cities, shorter circuits for food supply, shorter distances between working, living and leisure areas, reduced vulnerability to global economic shocks, especially for the poorest populations, and the creation of local and sustainable jobs. In other words, they improve the quality of life of their citizens.
The ‘Covenant Step by Step’ section provides you with concrete information about the process that Covenant Signatories are expected to go through in order to fulfil their commitments.
What is Energy Cities doing for the Covenant of Mayors?
Since 2009, Energy Cities is leading the Covenant of Mayors Office, in cooperation with Climate Alliance, CEMR, Fedarene and Eurocities.
The Covenant of Mayors Office:
- Promotes the initiative in the EU and beyond,
- Provides administrative and technical support to signatories,
- Monitors the Covenant implementation by signatories Coordinators and Supporters,
- Facilitates exchange of experiences and networking,
- Liaises with other EU initiatives and actors.
Energy Cities is also one of the official Covenant supporters, considered as crucial partners of the Covenant of Mayors Office, especially considering their ability to adapt the Covenant objectives and messages in a way that makes sense to the realities on the ground.
As such, Energy Cities has been encouraging its member cities and wider audiences to engage in the initiative and demonstrate their key role in reaching the EU energy and climate objectives.
Further readings:
Official website of the Covenant of Mayors :
www.eumayors.eu
« Reflections, positions and proposals concerning the Covenant of Mayors’s future”, Energy Cities, July 2011
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