EC Launches Covenant of Mayors to Combat Global Warming

January 31, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS

The covenant consists of a formal commitment by adhering cities to go beyond the EU's goals to reduce CO2 emissions through energy efficiency and renewable energy actions.

The covenant text comes as a result of an informal consultation with a broad range of cities throughout Europe. As a result, almost 100 cities, including 15 capitals, have expressed their early interest in the covenant. Elected representatives from London, Helsinki, Riga, Berlin, Bonn, Milan, Venezia, Nantes, Ljubljana, Warsaw and other cities attended the launching event.

"Cities are becoming the places to deliver new ideas and innovative projects against global warming. Cities are also the public spaces where it is possible to find multicultural, cross-sectoral solutions, where the necessary conciliation between private and public interests may be found," said Andris Piebalgs, EC energy commissioner.

Piebalgs continued, "The approach to tackle the climate crisis challenge can only be holistic, integrated, long-term and, most of all, based on the participation of citizens. This complex picture is best managed at local level. Cities must therefore become leading actors for implementing sustainable energy policies, and must be supported in their effort."

The Covenant of Mayors will focus on concrete projects and measurable results. The adhering cities and regions will formally commit to reduce their CO2 emissions by more than 20% by 2020, by developing "Sustainable Energy Action Plans." Citizens will be informed of the achievements of their respective cities through periodic reports, which can be monitored by a third party.

The EC will give support to the sharing of the best sustainable energy practices in the world to the covenant cities and regions through a mechanism called "benchmarks for excellence." The EC also intends to negotiate the terms of the involvement of other major stakeholders in the covenant. A covenant secretariat, funded through the Intelligent Energy Europe programme, will facilitate monitoring, networking and promotion tasks.

A final version of the covenant is currently being prepared. In parallel, a number of high-level debates and events will take place to work out the terms of participation of financial entities and the benchmarks for excellence in the covenant. The first group of covenant cities is expected to formalise adhesion no later than the next EU Sustainable Energy Week.

Source: European Commission.