Covenant of Mayors
Covenant of Mayors
The Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy Europe brings together thousands of local governments who voluntarily commit to implementing the EU’s climate and energy objectives in their territory.
Signatories share a vision for making cities decarbonised and resilient, where citizens have access to secure, sustainable, and affordable energy. They commit to make climate action a priority by setting mid- and long-term targets, consistent with the EU objectives and in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement, to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 while leaving no one and no place behind.
Additionally, signatories commit to submitting a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) outlining the key actions within two years following the local council decision to join the Covenant and reporting every two years on the progress of implementation.
The initiative was launched by the European Commission in 2008 and now counts over 11,000 signatories. Its bottom-up governance, multi-level cooperation model and context-driven framework for action have been key success factors of the initiative. Launched in 2015, the Global Covenant of Mayors, has been capitalising on the experience gained in Europe and beyond.
What is the role of national associations of Local and Regional Governments as Covenant Supporters?
- Promoting the Covenant of Mayors at the national level, mobilising existing and potential signatories
- Contributing to reinforce multi-level governance and the active role of Local and Regional Governments in the design and implementation of sustainable climate and energy policies
- Organising national awareness raising and capacity building activities in the fields of climate change adaptation, mitigation and access to secure, sustainable and affordable energy, funding and financing
- Participating in Covenant of Mayors activities
Many CEMR’s member associations are Covenant Supporters. The full list of Supporters can be found in the project website: https://eu-mayors.ec.europa.eu/en/supporters