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GRIFFON Axelle
In Energy, Impact community Climate, Latest

Climate Neutrality at Stake

Climate neutrality - News 2024

Climate Neutrality at Stake: Why Local Governments Must Lead in Decarbonising Heating and Cooling

Decarbonising cooling and heating is a climate imperative. Heating represents 80% of European households’ final energy use, with more than half of heat generation still relying on fossil fuels. This significant dependency on non-renewable energy sources poses a substantial challenge in achieving climate neutrality.

As buildings account for around 40% of the EU’s energy use, there is a vast potential for enhancing energy efficiency and integrating renewables in the energy mix through local solutions. The recent European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) organised by the Covenant of Mayors, the European Energy Award, and the Smart Cities Marketplace, explored the role of Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) can play in this sector by promoting decentralised cooperation and efficient heating and cooling plans.

Local and Regional Governments leading Europe’s heating transition
Subnational governments are responsible for two-thirds of climate and energy policies, accounting for 58% of public climate-significant expenditures in Europe*. When it comes to heating and cooling policies, LRGs hold 89% of both decision-making and implementation responsibilities. This makes LRGs crucial enablers of the cooling and heating transition schemes. The challenges they face is ensuring energy efficiency in buildings while providing renewable heating and cooling through various technologies.

The case of Karlsruhe County
Dr. Schnaudigel, who is also the President of the County of Karlsruhe presented the solution found by his region at the EUSEW Conference.  The 32 municipalities of Karlsruhe cooperated to map the needs – present and potential – of the county and put in common their knowledge to find the most cost-efficient solution for Karlsruhe cooling and heating plans.  This allowed even small municipalities to become energy independent, by leveraging geothermal energy. This scheme granted Karlsruhe recognition as Gold District by the Energy Award Prize.

Addressing Municipal Challenges and Financial Constraints
Still, significant challenges remain. There is a constrained fiscal capacity to mitigate systemic crises, whether they are related to climate change or not.  Additionally, even though renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels, and the green heating and cooling districts have lower operational costs, they still require substantial upfront investments. For these reasons, Dr. Schnaudigel emphasised the need for national and European policymakers to support LRGs by providing financial resources through guarantee programs, direct funding lines, or investment-friendly fiscal rules. Without such support, individual solutions may prevail over sustainable, collective approaches, potentially exacerbating social and political inequalities.

Decarbonising Local Cooling and Heating under the Urban Agenda for the EU and the Covenant of Mayors
At the conclusion of the conference, the Covenant of Mayors launched the Cities Heat Detox initiative, which aims to detoxify urban heat sources to achieve climate benefits, cleaner air, and create new green jobs. This initiative emphasises the role of social policies in ensuring equitable transitions, with a particular focus on addressing the rural-urban divide. CEMR will participate in this initiative by promoting regional collaboration and advocating for supportive financial frameworks.

* ENG: https://ccre-cemr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NECP_Report_CEMR_2023.pd

* FR: https://ccre-cemr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NECP_Report_CEMR_FR_2023.pdf

GRIFFON Axelle
In Climate, Energy, Energy, Environment, Environment, Impact community Climate, Impact community Climate, Latest, Publications, Water, Water

Adoption of the nature restoration law

Green City - News Section

Cities and regions urge swift adoption of EU Nature Restoration Law to combat climate and biodiversity crises

Read the full letter

As Europe faces intensifying environmental challenges, from biodiversity loss to climate-driven heatwaves and pollution, cities and regions are stepping up their call for action. Partners of the Urban Agenda for the EU Partnership on Greening Cities, including many local and regional governments, have issued a joint letter urging EU Member States to swiftly adopt the long-delayed Nature Restoration Law. 

Local authorities are often at the frontline of environmental crises. With over 70% of Europeans living in urban areas, the need to restore green spaces is not only a climate priority but also a public health and quality-of-life imperative. The proposed law would provide a long-awaited framework to strengthen biodiversity, adapt cities to rising temperatures, and support sustainable land use. 

Delays in the law’s adoption not only undermine urgent environmental action but also threaten democratic trust in EU decision-making. A provisional agreement between the European Parliament and Council was reached months ago, and failure to finalise it now would send the wrong signal, both to EU citizens and the global community. 

CEMR and its partner’s stress: restoring nature is not optional. It is essential! Local governments stand ready to deliver, but they need the political will at the EU level to match their ambition. 

For more information, contact: 

GRIFFON Axelle
In Energy, Impact community Climate, Latest

CEMR Green Day

Insights from CEMR Green Day 2024: What will the future green transition look like in European municipalities and regions?

CEMR Green Day 2024 provided a platform for policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to delve into the future of the green transition within the EU and beyond. Held on April 10th, this event fostered a dynamic exchange of strategies, challenges, and opportunities for driving climate action at the local and regional levels.

Tadashi Matsumoto, Head of the National Urban Policy and Climate Resilience Unit at OECD, presented the report “A Territorial Approach to Climate Action and Resilience.” Matsumoto emphasised the need for a coherent territorial approach to enhance climate resilience and bridge regional disparities. He introduced the TACAR policy framework, aimed at prioritizing climate policies at the local level and enabling more effective climate action. The framework’s applicability was illustrated through examples from Bratislava and New York State.

The panel discussion featured insights from diverse stakeholders, including Michaël Quernez, Mayor of Quimperlé; Patrick Princen, First Alderman of Mechelen; Pedro Dias, Policy Director at Solar Heat Europe; and Lucian Pârvulescu from the European Commission’s European Green Deal Unit.

Quernez emphasized the importance of EU funds for supporting local transitions, while Princen shared Mechelen’s successful climate resilience initiatives. Dias stressed the need for empowering LRGs in energy policy, and Pârvulescu outlined the EC’s commitment to supporting local initiatives.

The discussion highlighted the importance of empowering LRGs, engaging citizens in climate action, adopting a territorial approach to address regional disparities, and enhancing dialogue between national and local levels.

“We need to ensure that local governments are actively involved in planning, decision-making, and implementation processes to guarantee the effectiveness of sustainability measures” concluded Marianne Overton, CEMR spokesperson for Climate.

In the second part of the meeting, CEMR experts discussed water resilience and 2040 climate targets. We also discussed CEMR’s forthcoming study on the challenges of the implementation of the green agenda to be published in autumn.

GRIFFON Axelle
In Climate, Energy, Environment, Impact community Climate, Impact community Climate, Latest, Publications

Local Alliance for the Green Deal

Local Alliance: city and regional networks urge EU to stay the course on Green Deal implementation

Read full declaration

Eight leading networks of European cities and regions – ACR+, CEMR, Climate Alliance, Energy Cities, Eurocities, FEDARENE, ICLEI Europe and POLIS – have come together to form the Local Alliance. 

In a joint letter, the Alliance calls on EU leaders to find new ways to effectively roll out the European Green Deal at the local level. The EU must “stay the course on the European Green Deal under this and the next mandate of the European Commission,” the networks have stated.

Recent challenges, such as the passage of the Nature Restoration Law, which still languishes with the European Council, or the last-minute setbacks suffered by the internal combustion engine phase out, are undermining the Green’s Deal objectives. As the European elections approach, the EU must ensure it remains a global beacon for climate leadership.  

Given the more complicated arena for climate legislation that lies ahead, local leaders are adamant that the EU’s commitment to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 should remain a top priority, delivering a just transition that works for people and planet. 

Cities and regions are where at least 70% of the European Green Deal legislation must be implemented. European local and regional governments have already embarked on the journey to climate neutrality and started to transform European cities and regions, as well as ways of living, heating and cooling, housing, mobility, producing and consuming for millions of citizens. Today, the EU’s subnational governments mobilise around 58% of climate-significant public expenditures, surpassing their central governments. 

“Through this Local Alliance, we call on the EU institutions to listen to cities and regions that are already localising the Green Deal objectives by implementing 70% of the EU legislation. Putting the experience of local governments at the centre means prioritizing effective transition policies that will ensure fairness and acceptance of the Green Deal for all European citizens” – Fabrizio Rossi, Secretary General, CEMR.

In the letter sent to EU leaders, the Local Alliance highlights that Europe’s pace of success in achieving the Green Deal objectives will depend on the following help for cities and regions:  

  • More joined up support for investments from the EU, national and regional funds across different funding programmes and actors, which are more responsive to locally developed integrated and holistic action and investment plans. This would also be a prerequisite for creating local jobs and markets for the European green industry.   

Local leaders highlight that partnership between all levels of government is key as “Financing the local transition to climate neutrality will require mobilising the EU and national budgets.” 

  • Cities and regions need adequate in-house skills and a workforce to successfully do their part of the climate neutrality transition and by doing so, to create demand for European businesses and industries.   

“These opportunities are the best way to create local investment potential for European industry, and to share the transition benefits for all EU citizens,” say the Local Alliance leaders.

  • Establishing structured dialogues with the local and regional levels at the EU and national level will be critical to achieving the necessary transformation and societal resilience at scale in Europe.  

It is only with cities, regional and local governments on board – the closest level of government to people and the one responsible for implementing most of the European Green Deal legislation – that we can fully meet the objective of a climate neutral Europe by 2050. 

The Local Alliance further repeats its commitment to work with national governments, the European Council, the Commission, and the Parliament to turn the European Green Deal into reality for every citizen across Europe. 

For more information, contact:

GRIFFON Axelle
In Environment, Impact community Climate, Latest

Soil Health

Negotiations are underway on the adoption of a Soil health directive

In a continent where over 60% of soils are estimated unhealthy, it is today imperative to address soil degradation. Scientific evidence underscores the alarming trend of soil deterioration, driven by unsustainable land management practices, contamination, and the intensifying impacts of climate change. This degradation not only jeopardizes essential ecosystem services but also carries a significant economic burden, with the European Commission estimating an annual cost of at least 50 billion euros to the EU. 

Soil monitoring, already practised in several EU Member States, often involves the engagement of regions and municipalities. Public authorities frequently hold ownership of land, and they are directly impacted by soil health issues. Consequently, they play a crucial role in monitoring and managing land health within their jurisdictions. 

In July 2022, the European Commission unveiled its proposal for a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience, aiming to achieve healthy soils across Europe by 2050. The directive includes three main elements: 

  • A Comprehensive Monitoring Framework covering all soils within the EU, helping Member States to undertake measures for regenerating degraded soils. 
  • Promotion of Sustainable Soil Management: Member States will define sustainable soil management practices while limiting activities that contribute to soil degradation.
  • Identification and Remediation of Contaminated Site: Member States are asked to identify potentially contaminated sites, conduct investigations, and mitigate risks to human health and the environment.  

CEMR welcomes the legislative proposal of the Commission which rightly balances ambition and feasibility for Member States. We put forward six key messages for the European Parliament and Council negotiations:  

  1. Emphasis on Monitoring: CEMR welcomes the directive’s primary focus on soil monitoring and advocates for establishing a practical monitoring framework to improve soil health.
  2. Involvement of Local and Regional Governments: CEMR underscores the importance of involving subnational authorities in the implementation of the Soil Monitoring Law, ensuring collaboration within existing national frameworks without imposing undue administrative burdens. 
  3. Flexible Implementation Framework: Prioritising flexibility at the national level is paramount to accommodate local variations and ensure effective adaptation across different Member States.
  4. Support for Risk-Based Approach: CEMR endorses the adoption of a risk-based approach, emphasising considerations such as land use in monitoring frameworks and remediation efforts. 
  5. A realistic approach to land take mitigation: CEMR advocates for establishing a compensation mechanism at an aggregated level to address the impacts of land take, tailored to local and regional specificities. 
  6. Strengthening the Polluter Pays Principle: To prevent soil pollution and achieve healthy soils by 2050, CEMR emphasizes the importance of setting pollution prevention standards alongside monitoring and remediation efforts. 

What are the next steps?
Following the publication of the legislative proposal by the Commission last year, significant strides have been made in advancing the Soil Monitoring Law. The proposal is broadly supported, notably with its adoption by the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on 11 March 23. The rapporteur, MEP Martin Hojsík’s strongly contributed to include the views of local and regional authorities in the draft report. As discussions continue, we call MEPs to support the upcoming adoption of the draft report in plenary on April 10.  

Trilogue negotiations will resume post-EU elections, contingent upon the Council’s adoption of a general approach. 

GRIFFON Axelle
In Environment, Impact community Climate, Latest

Wallonia Summit 2024

CEMR Brings the Voice of LRGs to Climate Chance Europe 2024 Wallonia Summit

CEMR represented the voice of Local and Regional Governments at the Climate Chance Europe 2024 Wallonia Summit, organised by the Belgian Presidency on the 8th and 9th of February in Liege.

Eva Banos, CEMR Adviser for Global Agendas, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Climate, moderated the event session titled “Cross-border and Decentralised Cooperation – How to Strengthen Community-Based & Community-Led Adaptation to Climate Change.” During this session, the discussion focused on giving agency to citizens and communities, rethinking multi-level governance in a grassroots way.

During the summit, Marlon Hilden, CEMR Climate and Sustainable Finance Officer, presented the results of the research “Powering the Future: Driving Europe’s Climate and Energy Policies through Regions and Municipalities,” delving into critical insights expected to influence and shape Europe’s climate and energy policies at regional and municipal levels.

The event culminated with the signing of the “Liège Declaration”: a Roadmap on adaptation to climate change in Europe for non-state actors.

GRIFFON Axelle
In Energy, Impact community Climate, Latest

2040 Target 

2040 Target - News 2024

CEMR’s reaction to the European Commission’s 2040 target

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) welcomes the European Commission’s recommendation* for a 90% net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040—a decisive move providing predictability for Europe’s municipalities and regions in achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) are key enablers of Europe’s climate policies and call for an inclusive exchange with European decision-makers on the 2040 target’s implementation.

At this crucial moment, CEMR underscores the importance of ambitious goals and advocates for EU legislation that can effectively respond to the diversity of Europe’s regional and local contexts, steering clear of a “one size fits all” approach. At the same time, recent polarisations around environmental policies clearly highlight the necessity for integrated involvement from all stakeholders. The sustainable transition must be a shared responsibility, and to prevent it from being politicised, all parties involved should contribute to shaping new regulations post-election.

In this context, Local and Regional Governments (LRGs), holding a significant mandate, are responsible for implementing nearly 70% of climate and energy policies*. To ensure a successful transition, it is imperative that the EU listens to those who understand their territory’s economy best, ensuring a fair approach that fosters the cohesion of our regions.

References:

* https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_588

* NECP_Report_CEMR_2023

GRIFFON Axelle
In Environment, Impact community Climate, Latest

European Commission 

CEMR Engages in Talks with the European Commission on Green Deal Implementation at the Local and Regional Level

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) convened this week with Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal at the European Commission. The meeting was an important opportunity for CEMR to engage with the Commission to discuss the implementation of the European Green Deal at the local and regional levels.
 
Federica Bordelot, Director of Policy and Impact, and Marlon Hilden, Climate Sustainable Finance Officer, took part in the discussions. During the meeting, they highlighted the significance of Local and Regional Governments’ (LRGs) involvement in realising the goals of the European Green Deal. The CEMR delegation seized the occasion to showcase exemplary initiatives outlined in their latest studies, underlining successful models that can be replicated across European municipalities and regions. CEMR also raised concerns about the comparatively low participation of LRGs in decision-making processes and policy implementation. Addressing this issue is crucial for ensuring the inclusivity and effectiveness of environmental policies on the ground.
 
The dialogue emphasised the importance of a coordinated effort between the European Commission and local and regional entities to create a sustainable and resilient future. As discussions continue, CEMR remains dedicated to contributing valuable insights and advocating for the active involvement of Local and Regional Governments in shaping and executing environmental policies across Europe.

GRIFFON Axelle
In Energy, Impact community Climate, Latest

NECP Report

NECP Report - News 2023

“Empowering the Future: Study Reveals European Local and Regional Governments as Key Players in Climate Policy”

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is proud to announce the publication of a comprehensive study titled “Powering the Future: Driving Europe’s Climate and Energy Policies through Regions and Municipalities.” 

In the wake of ongoing revisions to national climate policies, this study aims to shed light on the critical role European Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) played in implementing sustainable energy and climate policies. The research period, spanning from June to October 2023, has resulted in a wealth of insights and recommendations for the enhanced integration of LRGs into future legislative frameworks.

Marlon Hilden, CEMR Energy, Climate, Sustainable Finance Officer, emphasised the study’s significance: 

“The findings underscore the critical role of local and regional governments in energy and climate policy implementation. This highlights the imperative need for consulting regions and municipalities throughout the policymaking process.”

  • To access the full report “Powering the Future: Driving Europe’s Climate and Energy Policies through Regions and Municipalities,” click here.
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