Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy

Since 2008 when the Covenant was first launched, it’s been clear that local and regional governments and agencies have continued to set the pace, leading the way in climate action, side by side with the European Union. The Covenant movement grew, and from the 370 original cities, the EU Covenant community now integrates more than 11,000 signatory cities and towns. Territorial coordinators and supporters – mostly regional governments, energy agencies and national associations – also became key actors in the initiative, advancing a multilevel approach to climate action. Due to its success, the initiative went global in 2016, with the Global Covenant of Mayors.

As the global fight against climate change has intensified and become more comprehensive, the initiative also evolved to encompass measures beyond mitigation. Since 2015, cities integrate climate adaptation into their plans to make local territories more resilient to growing climate hazards. At the same time, energy poverty also became a pillar, ensuring local governments are working towards a just and fair transition for all. 

For 16 years, cities and energy agencies have been tackling the question of climate change and increasing their ambitions in line with the European Union, aligning with the 2030 targets, and eventually the objective of climate neutrality by 2050. As ambitions grow and efforts accelerate, the panorama of initiatives aligning with the Covenant of Mayors’ endeavors have multiplied. By partnering with many of these key European initiatives and projects, the Covenant of Mayors has become a crucial entry point for local and regional governments looking to act on climate change.

The road ahead is still difficult. Cities and towns need capacities and funds to develop and implement their action plans. They need to be involved in the decision-making process at the national level, for comprehensive and coordinated climate action across different levels of government.

The Covenant of Mayors is entering a new era, where implementation of the European Green Deal will become a central focus. The EU Covenant will continue to empower cities and towns of all sizes to take action, aligning with the EU’s 2030 and 2040 targets, eventually all reaching climate neutrality by 2050, together.  

And we will make sure we do this by always reasserting cities’ and agencies’ critical role, underlining their potential of mobilising everyone in Europe’s journey towards a just and carbon-free future.