15 October 2015: The Covenant of Mayors, a movement of European cities committed to energy efficiency and renewable energy, and its initiative ‘Mayors Adapt,’ composed of cities committed to preparing for the impacts of climate change, have joined forces in the fight against climate change. A ceremony launching the ‘New Integrated Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy’ took place at the European Parliament in the lead up to the Paris Climate Change Conference scheduled to take place in November-December 2015.

Hundreds of city representatives participated in the event, which was hosted by Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, on 15 October 2015, in Brussels, Belgium. The event acknowledged the important contribution cities make to reducing emissions, decarbonizing energy systems and creating climate-resilient urban environments.

According to the European Commission (EC), European cities: are home to 360 million people or 72% of Europe’s population; account for 70% of the continent’s energy consumption; and are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The EC also notes that cities can play a key role in mitigating and adapting to climate change, including by boosting renewable energy, improving energy efficiency in buildings and increasing green areas.

The Covenant of Mayors reports that since 2009, approximately 6,500 local authorities have committed to Europe’s 2020 CO2 reduction objective, and as part of the New Covenant, signatory cities will pledge action to support implementation of the new 2030 EU targets, a joint approach to tackling both mitigation and adaptation.

A consultation process, launched by the EC, collected cities’ views on what the new Covenant of Mayors should focus on. Nearly all respondents called for a new target beyond 2020. The majority endorsed the 2030 objectives for a minimum 40% CO2 reduction, a 27% increase in energy efficiency and renewables, and the integration of mitigation and adaptation under a “common umbrella.” The Covenant of Mayors has also introduced an “institutional novelty” into the European policy landscape by encouraging local leaders to voluntarily support the implementation of EU-adopted targets.

During the ceremony, various European cities voiced their intentions with regard to climate action. For example, the city of Nantes in France plans to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030, while the city of Ghent in Belgium expects to become “a climate-proof city by 2030, prepared for precipitation extremes, droughts, heat stress and sea level rise.” Deputy Mayor of Paris Patrick Klugman noted his city has adopted a climate adaptation roadmap, plans to create 100 hectares of green roofs, and aims to power all municipal buildings with green electricity by 2016.

Mayor of Heidelberg Eckart Würzner pointed out that the Covenant represents over 200 million citizens through local council commitments. Commissioner Cañete emphasized that the Covenant of Mayors was already the “world’s biggest urban climate and energy initiative” and a European success story “to be exported on the road to Paris.”

The Covenant of Mayors became an official data provider of the ‘Non-State Actor Zone for Climate Action’ (NAZCA), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) platform that showcases the commitments of non-state actors in advance of the Paris Climate Change Conference. UNFCCC Chief of Staff Daniele Violetti commented that the Covenant of Mayors is by far the largest data set to be integrated into NAZCA. [Covenant of Mayors Press Release] [Eurocities Press Release] [European Commission Press Release] [Covenant of Mayors Website] [Mayors Adapt Website] [NAZCA Website]