Projects and Programmes 171

In the face of global challenges like climate change, migration, and rising inequalities, citizen engagement is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. Local and regional governments (LRGs), being the level of governance closest to the people, are uniquely positioned to connect global issues with daily realities. Through Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR), LRGs play a transformative role in fostering active, informed and responsible citizenship.

DEAR is not just about delivering information, it’s about sparking engagement, critical thinking, and collective action. This article presents the key findings and recommendations from PLATFORMA’s Success Stories Collection, showcasing how LRGs and their associations help citizens understand global interdependencies and become agents of change.

PLATFORMA, a pan-European coalition of LRGs active in development cooperation, advocates for the strategic role of LRGs in informing, mobilising, and engaging communities for global sustainable development. The collection highlights real-life examples of how LRGs across Europe use DEAR to bring the 2030 Agenda closer to citizens.

Why LRGs Matter for DEAR
LRGs are trusted institutions with a public mandate. By collaborating with schools, civil society organisations (CSOs), and cultural actors, they can:

Simplify complex global agendas like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) without diluting their message,
Restore trust in public institutions,
Build social cohesion,
Reach under-resourced municipalities through national associations of LRGs (LRGAs).

What is DEAR?
Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR) strategies seek to transform community behaviour and attitudes toward global challenges. Rooted in concepts like Global Citizenship Education (GCE), DEAR blends learning with action. Its two main approaches are:

Global-Learning: Focused on knowledge-building and participatory education.
Campaigning-Advocacy: Aimed at policy and behaviour change through public mobilisation.

Showcasing DEAR in Action
The publication features 19 case studies, divided into two parts:

Part 1: Ten Campaigning-Advocacy projects targeting policy or institutional changes.
Part 2: Nine Global-Learning projects focused on pedagogical empowerment and community knowledge-building.
A third section delves into the financial tools and methodologies that support DEAR implementation.

The DEAR experience proves that raising citizens’ awareness is not a one-off campaign, it’s a continuous process of reflection, transformation, and action. PLATFORMA outlines seven clear recommendations for local and regional governments to enhance their DEAR impact:

Promote whole-of-society partnerships: Create inclusive spaces and initiatives like the European Days of Local Solidarity to unite communities around shared challenges.

Commit to long-term planning: Change takes time; DEAR strategies must evolve and stay relevant.

Foster mutual learning and participation: Engage citizens in workshops, forums, and school programmes, learning is most effective when it is shared.

Defend the unique role of LRGs: Encourage inclusion of LRGs in EU DEAR calls and empower their associations to support smaller municipalities.

Prioritise youth engagement: Let young people lead and amplify messages through social media and peer-to-peer initiatives.

Use public and digital spaces creatively: Awareness campaigns in urban areas and online tools ensure a wide reach and participation.

Evaluate meaningfully: Include both qualitative and quantitative indicators, participatory feedback, and mid-term evaluations to track behaviour change.

As we face increasingly complex global challenges, LRGs and their associations are vital in shaping how communities think, act, and respond. By embedding DEAR into their governance and outreach strategies, local institutions become not only service providers but educators and catalysts of global change.

Read the position paper here

For more information, contact:

BALLESTA ORTA Rocío

Officer – Education & Development

BANOS DE GUISASOLA Eva In Climate, Climate, Energy, Energy, Environment, Environment, EU Covenant of Mayors, EU Covenant of Mayors, Impact community Climate, Impact community Climate, Latest, PLATFORMA, PLATFORMA, Projects and Programmes, Projects and programmes, Publications

Local action for climate at COP26

Municipalities and regions are essential to implementing the Paris Agreement and achieving the SDGs

Read full position paper

As the world prepares for COP26, the urgency of implementing the Paris Agreement is clearer than ever. Delays are no longer acceptable: ambitious climate action must be delivered across all levels of governance, with municipalities and regions at the forefront. Local leadership, appropriate regulatory frameworks, and decentralised solutions will be crucial to achieving carbon neutrality and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Tackling climate change requires ambitious leadership, and local governments are uniquely positioned to deliver practical results. Cities and regions across Europe are already setting climate targets and developing local solutions to global challenges. Their involvement in international processes, such as through the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) constituency, ensures that local voices shape global action.

Effective climate policies also depend on appropriate regulatory and financial support. EU and national frameworks must acknowledge the diversity of local realities, enabling tailored solutions. Adequate funding, capacity-building, and investment are necessary to empower municipalities and regions to meet their commitments. Initiatives like the European Green Deal and a just transition should ensure no community is left behind.

Finally, the localisation of the SDGs is inseparable from the climate agenda. With 65% of SDG targets linked to local action, decentralised approaches and multi-level governance are vital. Embedding the 2030 Agenda into territorial strategies will ensure that global commitments translate into tangible improvements in communities.

The path to COP26 underscores a simple truth: global goals can only be achieved through local action. By supporting municipalities and regions with resources, recognition, and a genuine role in decision-making, the EU and international community can ensure that the Paris Agreement and SDGs are implemented effectively, delivering a sustainable and resilient future for all.

For more information, contact:

BANOS DE GUISASOLA Eva

Senior Advisor – Global Agendas, SDGs & Climate

BANOS DE GUISASOLA Eva In Impact community Climate, Impact community Climate, Impact community Cohesion, Impact community Cohesion, Impact community Labour, Impact community Labour, Impact community Society, Impact community Society, Latest, PLATFORMA, PLATFORMA, Publications

Localising the 2030 Agenda

How local and regional governments and their associations are driving sustainable development

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, laid out an ambitious global roadmap for peace, prosperity, people, and the planet. Its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are universal in nature but require deeply localised responses to be effectively achieved.

Local and regional governments (LRGs), and the associations that represent them are at the frontline of this challenge. They have the democratic mandate, institutional legitimacy, and daily proximity to citizens to implement sustainable solutions tailored to local realities. This article explores the critical role these governments and their national associations play in bringing the 2030 Agenda to life across Europe and beyond.

The Role of LRGs and Their Associations
Local and regional governments are uniquely positioned to translate global goals into tangible public policies and services. Whether it’s improving access to education, ensuring clean water, fostering inclusive economies, or promoting environmental protection, the SDGs intersect directly with their mandates.

However, the successful localisation of the SDGs requires not only local action but also strong national coordination and multilevel governance. That’s where national associations of LRGs come in. They serve as intermediaries between municipal and national levels, raising awareness, building capacity, and advocating for policy coherence and the resources necessary for implementation.

A Framework for Transformation
For LRGs, the 2030 Agenda is more than a checklist, it’s a strategic and transformative framework that enables long-term thinking, breaks down silos across departments, and connects various stakeholders. When well-integrated, the SDGs improve how public services are delivered and empower communities to engage meaningfully in decision-making processes.

A New Decade of Action and Challenge
Despite early progress, the world is not yet on track to meet the SDGs by 2030. The COVID-19 pandemic has added new complexity, strained local budgets and exacerbated inequalities. Yet the pandemic also highlighted the vital role of LRGs in crisis response, ensuring healthcare access, food security, education continuity, and social protection.

The recovery period offers a chance to “build back better” by placing the SDGs at the core of reconstruction efforts. The UN Secretary General has emphasised the 2030 Agenda as a guiding principle for a resilient, inclusive, and green recovery. In this context, national associations of LRGs become even more essential to facilitate dialogue, share knowledge, and advocate for the tools local governments need to succeed.

The decade ahead will be decisive. The COVID-19 crisis may have disrupted momentum, but it has not undermined the fundamental relevance of the 2030 Agenda. On the contrary, it has reaffirmed the importance of public services, local resilience, and inclusive governance, values that are deeply embedded in the SDGs.

Local and regional governments, supported by their associations, are essential actors in this journey. They are adapting, experimenting, and collaborating to deliver sustainable results, even amid uncertainty. Their work shows that global agendas only become real when rooted in local action.

Going forward, stronger partnerships across sectors and governance levels are needed to ensure no place and no person is left behind. Multi-level and multi-sector cooperation will be vital to address the growing challenges ahead and to seize the opportunities that lie in sustainable, equitable recovery.

In short, if the SDGs are to be met, they must be localised and that starts with empowering the actors who are closest to the people.

For more information, contact:

BANOS DE GUISASOLA Eva

Senior Advisor – Global Agendas, SDGs & Climate

TONHAUSER Boris In Impact community Climate, Impact community Climate, Impact community Labour, Impact community Labour, Impact community Society, Impact community Society, Latest, PLATFORMA, PLATFORMA, Publications

Agenda 2030 study for local and regional governments

Just out: New study reveals how municipalities, regions and their associations are embracing the SDGs

Caught in the COVID-19 storm, Europe’s local and regional governments and their associations are at risk of losing the progress made in the last few years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Although they are increasingly familiar with the Global Goals, they need further support to bring international ambitions to territorial realities.

This is what emerges from a new study led by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and PLATFORMA entitled “The 2030 Agenda through the eyes of local and regional governments’ associations”.

In times of COVID-19: the SDGs at a make-or-break moment

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and around the world has brought about unprecedented challenges for local and regional governments. In several countries, the pandemic has markedly deepened inequalities and has slowed down efforts to raise awareness and promote the work of the 2030 Agenda at local and regional level.

“The current crisis and the uncertain future are a call for action. Every player around the globe has to act now,” said Tine Soens, Member of the City Council of Kortrijk (Belgium), CEMR and PLATFORMA Spokesperson on 2030 Agenda. “Local and regional leaders should not be afraid to take the leap! Our generation of politicians, civil servants and citizens is the generation that has to turn the tide.”

The study at a glance

Based on a survey of 34 associations from 28 European countries, the study shows that one third use the SDGs as an important reference in their own development strategies, compared to only one fifth last year. What’s more, four out of five associations are aware of the SDGs. The trend is clear: year after year, local and regional governments and their associations are increasingly making the efforts necessary to materialise the global agenda at local level.

But have the SDGs also gained traction among central governments? Our study shows that close to 80% of associations indicated that there is an official national strategy to implement the SDGs. For those who indicated that a national strategy has been set up, 59% specified that there is a clear mention of the need to support local and regional action in SDG implementation.

Nevertheless, there is still considerable room for improvement to bring about closer ties between all levels of government and to achieve global progress on sustainable development. To step up our efforts, the study offers a checklist for associations “Know where your members stand in the localisation of the SDGs”, a set of simple steps to contribute to Voluntary National Reporting and several key recommendations.

What’s more, this 40-page publication is packed full of illustrative examples from the ground. Finally, it identifies persisting challenges and new opportunities that municipalities, regions and their associations have been encountering when working with the SDGs. These come at a timely moment as the pandemic continues to spread around the world.

Background information

This new study is based on a joint survey conducted by CEMR and PLATFORMA, designed in collaboration with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). It is a follow up to the 2019 study “How local & regional government associations bring the SDGs to life” and the 2018 study “Sustainable Development Goals – How Europe’s towns and regions are taking the lead”.

The study was launched on 15 July 2020 at the occasion of the workshop Localising the Sustainable Development Goals (watch the recording) organised by PLATFORMA during the United Nations’ 2020 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

PLATFORMA and CEMR are actively taking part in many of this virtual event’s sessions and webinars together with their partners and members.

Please click on this link if you want to get printed copies of our study (Europe only).

For more information, contact:

TONHAUSER Boris

Director – PLATFORMA

BIZARRO Pedro In Climate, Climate, Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa [closed project], Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa [closed project], Environment, Environment, Impact community Climate, Impact community Climate, Latest, Projects and Programmes, Projects and programmes, Publications

Evaluation of Covenant of Mayors in Africa

Evaluating the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa: added value, progress, and lessons for the future

Since its launch in 2015, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) has become a major initiative supporting African cities in their response to climate change and in improving access to clean energy. Funded by the European Union and co-financed by Germany and Spain, CoM SSA is part of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. Today, more than 200 cities across 36 Sub-Saharan countries have signed up, committing to long-term climate and energy action through Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SEACAPs).

Programme Achievements
The final evaluation highlights both the relevance and scale of the initiative. With Africa’s rapid urbanisation, CoM SSA’s focus on local governments is crucial. The programme has successfully engaged hundreds of municipalities, surpassing its target of 200 signatories, and has provided significant capacity building through technical assistance and workshops. Cities especially valued peer exchanges, which created strong networks for sharing experiences and best practices.

Pilot projects showed mixed results: while some cities advanced quickly with draft SEACAPs, others faced delays due to political instability, lack of technical expertise, or limited direct involvement of city administrations. Still, the overall added value of the initiative is clear: it created political ownership, improved local technical skills, and promoted sustainable energy and climate planning at the local level.

Key Lessons and Recommendations
The evaluation also draws important lessons for the future. Greater alignment between local SEACAPs and national climate strategies is needed to ensure impact. Capacity building remains a priority, requiring more technical staff on the ground and support from local organisations to guarantee continuity. Better coordination with other international programmes is recommended to avoid duplication of efforts. Finally, fostering multilingual platforms for experience-sharing among cities will strengthen the CoM SSA community and enhance learning across regions.

The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa has proven its relevance and value by mobilising hundreds of cities and building local capacity for climate action. While challenges remain, the initiative has laid a strong foundation for Phase III, where scaling up, deepening vertical integration with national governments, and securing sustainable financing will be key. CoM SSA is now well-positioned to continue empowering African municipalities as central actors in the global fight against climate change.

For more information, contact:

Read the declaration here

Project Lead – Climate, Energy & Urban Development

BORDELOT Federica In IncluCities [closed project], Latest, Projects and Programmes

IncluCities

Launching ‘IncluCities’, a new CEMR project to improve long-term migrant integration

With the launch of IncluCities, eight European cities and local government associations are joining forces to improve the integration of migrants. The initiative, managed by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), pairs more and less experienced cities to learn find and spread sustainable local solutions.

Over the past years, migrant and refugee arrivals have often faced negative public attitudes, stereotypes and misconceptions. While there are challenges in some areas, the reality is that there are thousands of good examples and practices from cities and towns.

While many cities have managed to find sustainable solutions for migrant integration, others, especially smaller and medium-sized often lack the necessary human and financial resources, knowledge and experience.

To bridge this gap the IncluCities project has been brought to life, designed to share knowledge, experiences and good practices among cities in a mentoring process. For that purpose, a network of eight cities with varying degrees of migration-related experience and their corresponding local government associations has been established.

The participating cities, accompanied by their respective associations, are ‘paired’ in groups of two, in which one city acts as a mentor and the other as a mentee. Mechelen, for instance, will be paired with Partinico in Italy.

“For the Municipality of Partinico, participation in the IncluCities project represents an opportunity to create a territory of multicultural dialogue, shifting the focus from reception, seen as emergency management, to a rigorous inclusion strategy ”, said Pietro Puccio, CEMR’s spokesperson for migration and integration. “Cooperation between cities experiencing migration phenomena seems to be of great value, especially in light of searching for sustainable solutions.”

Participating municipalities will collaborate closely at every stage of the project. The cities will organise study visits to identify where integration policy can be improved and co-design action plans to enhance their performance. What’s more, training academies will be organised at a later stage, open to other cities and local government associations, so as to spread the lessons learned and strengthen their capacity to integrate migrants.

IncluCities aims not only to spread successful local practices among cities, but also to contribute to the development of improved EU policies on migration that better reflect local needs and realities. Associations of local and regional governments will play a pivotal role, both by disseminating good practices to the rest of their network and by interfacing with national governments and the EU institutions to feed into policymaking and scale up good practices.

Participating cities and associations:

The city of Livadia and the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE)
Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle and the French Association of CEMR (AFCCRE)
Capaci and the Italian Association of CEMR (AICCRE)
Fuenlabrada and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP)
Brussels and Schaerbeek, together with the Association of the City and Municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region (BRULOCALIS)
Mechelen and the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG)
The city of Jelgava with Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments (LPS)

IncluCities is a three-year project led by CEMR and funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) of the European Union.

BORDELOT Federica

Director – Policy & Impact

TSKHELISHVILI Bella In EU enlargement and eastern partnership, EU enlargement and Eastern Partnership, Impact community Society, Latest, Local democracy, Local democracy, PLATFORMA, PLATFORMA, Publications, Twinning

Local role in the EU enlargement

Decentralisation and strong local governance are key for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia’s EU accession path

Read full declaration

The decision of the European Council to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova and to recognise Georgia’s perspective once further reforms are met marks a historic step in the enlargement of the European Union. Beyond the geopolitical dimension, the process will require profound reforms at the local level, particularly in decentralisation, public administration, and democratic governance.

The European Commission’s opinions emphasise decentralisation as a cornerstone of EU membership criteria. Strengthening local autonomy, building institutional capacity, and fostering multilevel governance are essential for sustainable reforms in Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. Empowering municipalities and regions will not only improve service delivery but also ensure that EU values and standards are implemented where citizens feel them most directly: at the local level.

Decentralised cooperation plays a decisive role in this transformation. Peer exchanges, partnerships, mentorship programmes, and twinning initiatives provide practical support for reforms while reinforcing democratic practices. These mechanisms are particularly vital in contexts of crisis and recovery, such as the post-pandemic and post-war reconstruction efforts.

Granting candidate status also strengthens local governments’ ability to modernise, adopt new technologies, and access tools that improve governance and resilience. This process will accelerate reforms in public administration, boost citizen participation, and ensure a closer alignment with the EU’s Green Deal and Sustainable Development Goals.

The path toward EU membership for Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia must include a strong local dimension. By prioritising decentralisation and local autonomy, the accession process can deliver long-term sustainable development, stronger democracies, and better services for citizens. Supporting municipalities and regions is therefore not just complementary, but essential for a successful enlargement process.

For more information, contact:

TSKHELISHVILI Bella

Advisor – Eastern Partnership and Geographical Dialogues

Adapting to climate in Africa

How African cities are assessing climate risks and building resilient futures

As climate change accelerates, African cities face mounting threats to their infrastructure, economies, and public health. Rising sea levels, water scarcity, disease outbreaks, and food insecurity are just some of the growing challenges. In response, many local governments across the continent are taking voluntary steps to adapt and strengthen territorial resilience.

Adaptation is more than reacting to extreme weather, it means preparing for long-term climate impacts and turning risks into development opportunities. This involves adjusting policies, infrastructure, and urban practices to reduce vulnerability and protect communities.

A recent methodological review explores how African cities are assessing the local effects of climate change and using that knowledge to shape their adaptation strategies. Actions range from bioclimatic architecture to reduce indoor heat, to shifting agricultural practices, protecting water resources, and diversifying tourism away from climate-vulnerable coastlines.

Importantly, cities must ensure that adaptation and mitigation plans are aligned. Involving the same stakeholders in both processes supports integrated planning and more coherent climate action.

This work reflects a growing commitment among African cities to lead the way in climate adaptation by studying local risks, acting early, and building more sustainable urban futures.

For more information, contact:

Project Lead – Climate, Energy & Urban Development

Financing climate action in African cities

Innovative approaches to funding sustainable urban transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Cities across Sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, with two-thirds considered at “extreme risk”. Yet, these same cities, particularly smaller and secondary urban areas, also hold significant potential to drive sustainable development. Through the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), local governments are acting by developing Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SEACAPs) and seeking ways to finance their implementation.

Building on years of support, the CoM SSA initiative is now focused on helping cities move from planning to implementation, particularly by unlocking access to climate finance. This includes support in understanding the finance landscape, preparing robust projects, and building partnerships with funders and investors.

A recent publication highlights solutions adopted by cities to finance SEACAPs, from reducing planning costs through inter-municipal cooperation to using public-private partnerships, risk-sharing mechanisms, and community-based funding models.

Key lessons include:

Diversifying financial sources improves resilience and reduces dependency. This includes crowdfunding, climate funds, local capital markets, and private investment.

Empowering communities through pooled resources, microfinance, and participatory planning ensures sustainability and buy-in.

Using digital technologies helps cities manage climate action more efficiently and affordably.

These examples illustrate that while challenges remain, Sub-Saharan African cities are making progress in creating bankable, inclusive, and resilient climate solutions, paving the way for sustainable urban futures.

For more information, contact:

Project Lead – Climate, Energy & Urban Development

Climate finance in Sub-Saharan Africa

Helping Sub-Saharan African cities access funding to deliver local climate and energy action plans

Sub-Saharan African cities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Rapid urbanisation has increased their exposure to climate risks and greenhouse gas emissions. To address this, signatories of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) are developing Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SEACAPs). These plans aim to foster low-carbon, resilient development while ensuring access to sustainable energy.

However, limited access to climate finance remains a major hurdle. Many local governments lack the necessary knowledge and tools to navigate the complex landscape of climate-related funding. A new publication addresses this gap by mapping out available financing instruments, eligibility criteria, and technical considerations tailored to Sub-Saharan cities.

While a range of climate finance sources exists, most are not directly accessible to local authorities, often requiring intermediaries such as national governments or development banks. To close this gap, national institutions must improve coordination, provide direct financial support, and create enabling environments for private investment. Mechanisms like Subnational Development Banks and dedicated national climate funds are also key to improving financial flows at the local level.

Development partners and the international community play a critical role by offering technical assistance for project planning, design, and implementation. With stronger multilevel cooperation, cities across the region can increase their access to climate finance and accelerate the delivery of their SEACAPs, driving both climate resilience and sustainable development.

For more information, contact: