Against rising temperatures, Cities hit REFRESH

As the fastest-heating continent, Europe already experiences numerous climate-related deaths, the majority of which come from heat stress. In 2023 alone, it claimed an average of 48,000 lives, a number which will continue to rise unless urgent action is taken. The main bulk of the adaption effort lies on cities and their agencies, as the urban heat-island effect can drive temperatures 10 to 15°C higher than nearby rural areas.

Therefore, the Covenant of Mayors launched the Cities Refresh campaign to foster initiatives that increase the resilience of cities in the face of rising temperatures.

How do heat-waves affect cities?

Heat waves create a large variety of detrimental effects to urban populations. They threaten the life and health of the most vulnerable individuals, be it the young, the elderly, outdoors workers, or residents of disenfranchised areas, to name a few. They can also hinder the functioning of some infrastructures and grind various activities down to a halt, with severe consequences for the delivery of public services or the economic viability of some sectors, such as the tourism industry.

Cities and their agencies can mitigate those effects through intelligent urban design and good governance practices.

Where does the REFRESH campaign come in all of this?

Cities and their agencies can submit their actions to improve the resilience of urban areas against increasing temperatures to the Covenant of Mayors via the campaign’s website, whereupon it will be featured on the website’s interactive map and promoted via the Covenant’s communication channels. Cities big and small, northern and southern, have already joined the campaign: Marseille (France), Athens (Greece), Weiz (Austria), Antwerp (Belgium), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Botkyrka (Sweden), Guimarães (Portugal)…

The Covenant of Mayors is also involved in the organization of many upcoming events sharing technical knowledge on the subject, which are also featured on the campaign’s website.

By joining and promoting the campaign, cities and their agencies can incite others to take up the necessary duty of adapting to current and future heat waves.