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Climate Alliance of European cities with indigenous rainforest peoples

Climate Alliance

Climate Alliance is a European city network uniting local authorities and indigenous rainforest peoples in their efforts to mitigate climate change.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Beatriz Yordi (Director Climate Action) and Eurocities and

29 Sept 2025 · ETS2 & Social Climate Fund Implementation, Communication Efforts and Best Practices

Response to EU vision for enhancing global climate and energy transition

11 Sept 2025

Local governments are crucial actors in implementing the Paris Agreement and in enhancing ambition within the global response to climate change. National governments will inevitably need to collaborate with their cities and regions to implement Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) on the ground and to ensure cohesive climate action. Although local governments demonstrate strong political will, they often lack enabling national frameworks needed to translate local climate and energy strategies into tangible action. Climate Alliance calls on the European Commission to continue advancing ambitious multilevel climate action and to make subnational diplomacy a core element of its renewed diplomatic strategy to support global climate action and energy transition. In this regard, Climate Alliance suggests two key measures to leverage policy cooperation and implementation with subnational actors: Leveraging the Covenant of Mayors as an instrument for international cooperation and diplomacy The importance of engaging all levels of government in climate action is recognised in the Paris Agreement. The EU has been a pioneer in promoting climate and energy cooperation across all levels of government. In 2008, it launched one of the longest-standing initiatives for cities and towns focused on energy and climate action the Covenant of Mayors. This initiative has paved the way for new multilevel governance architectures in several EU countries. Today, over 10,000 local authorities are part of the EU Covenant of Mayors initiative, representing more than half of the EU population. While most participating cities are in Europe, the initiative has expanded globally through the Global Covenant of Mayors, making it one of the highest-potential global EU initiatives. The EU laid the groundwork for this global expansion by funding regional Covenant offices across various world regions, enabling the implementation and adaptation of the Covenant model to different regional contexts. Climate Alliance calls on the European Commission to strengthen and expand this successful EU initiative in the context of international cooperation and diplomacy on climate and energy. The Covenant of Mayors offers an enabling framework for non-EU partner countries to build the capacity of local authorities and scale up solutions, which is essential to achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement and implementing their NDCs. The EU should encourage partner countries to follow the Covenant of Mayors model, tailored to their specific context and needs. Priority should be given to promoting key principles such as integrated approach to climate action, multi-level governance and citizens engagement. Mobilising finance for local climate action Climate Alliance members call on national governments and international bodies to equip cities and towns with reliable permanent access to the resources they need so that climate protection and adaptation can be carried out effectively with longer timelines for implementation, and as a priority at the local level, as emphasised in the Cologne Declaration adopted this year by the Climate Alliance General Assembly, representing over 2,000 member municipalities. Cities and towns, together with their citizens, are driving the green transition be it be it through upgrading heating networks, expanding renewable energy, allocating land for natural climate protection, or unsealing and greening urban areas. These tasks are essential and decided upon at the global, European, and national levels. Yet all too often, municipalities are charged with their implementation without being granted the necessary funding, staffing, or structural support. On the global stage, the EU should work towards strengthening and reforming the international finance architecture. Local and regional governments worldwide need a long-term financing framework that effectively supports implementation of sustainable energy, climate mitigation, and adaption
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Meeting with Beatriz Yordi (Director Climate Action) and Eurocities and

30 Jun 2025 · ETS2 / SCF / Public consultation

Response to European Affordable Housing Plan

4 Jun 2025

The Commission accurately recognizes the EUs housing affordability crisis and must more fully address how high construction costs, rent inflation, and land speculation obstruct development and fuel displacement, social unrest, and urban poverty. Root causes include insufficient municipal land control, inefficient permitting, labour shortages, inadequate financing, and energy-inefficient housing. A narrow definition of affordabilityas low upfront costoverlooks long-term energy efficiency and quality of life. In urban areas, rising rents drive inequality; rural areas face depopulation and service gaps. Energy poverty affects both settings. Insecure, unhealthy housing harms young people, low-income households, students, and key workersreducing wellbeing, labour mobility, educational attainment, and social cohesion. Housing costs are pushing 10% of Europeans into energy poverty. Economically, unaffordable housing reduces productivity and raises public spending. Environmentally, outdated buildings boost emissions and energy use. EU involvementwithin the subsidiarity principleshould support municipalities with legal, financial, and technical tools. Action is justified under Article 11 of the UN Social Covenant and EU Treaty commitments to social inclusion and climate protection. EU support can strengthen municipal land rights, non-profit housing, and leasehold systems through targeted funding, legal frameworks, and knowledge exchange. Key measures include municipal pre-emptive land rights, leasehold-only systems for public land, and capped land values for non-profit housing. Municipalities should finance social-purpose, climate-resilient buildings and work with cooperatives/non-profits for operation. Public acquisition and renovation of private stock should follow the same model. Apply 0% VAT to non-profit housing to cut costs. Cap total rents (including energy and services) and make landlords responsible for energy efficiency. Simplify permitting, invest in labour skills and offsite construction, and promote cooperative models. Public-private-community partnerships should include affordability safeguards and municipal oversight. Housing must guarantee dignity and access for homeless persons, disabled people, and marginalized groups. The FAIR principlesjustice, diversity, and adaptabilityshould guide inclusive housing across generations and regions, with sustainability ensuring intergenerational fairness. Success should be measured using indicators like municipal/non-profit housing share, energy poverty levels, rent-to-income ratios, emissions, renewable material use, energy consumption, and wellbeing outcomes. Expand the EU Semester and Social Scoreboard to include housing-specific, energy-efficiency, and affordability metrics. Best practices include Viennas early municipal housing, Munichs capped land pricing, and Frankfurts post-war non-profit model. Stakeholders offer crucial insights on integrating circular economy models, participatory governance, and climate goals with social inclusion. Align with the New European Bauhaus and the EU anti-poverty strategy by combining design quality, environmental sustainability, and social justice. Prioritize energy-efficient retrofits, climate-adapted design (e.g., sponge cities), and renewable materials for long-term resilience. We welcome the Commissions initiative and urge a shift toward treating housing as a fundamental right, embedded in climate, social, and economic resilience strategies. Success hinges on local empowerment and systemic reform for long-term affordability and sustainability.
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Response to Policy agenda for cities

26 May 2025

Local governments are critical actors in implementing the European Green Deal, yet they face persistent barriers that hinder their ability to deliver on the EUs climate, energy, and social objectives. While cities and municipalities have the political will and increasingly the planning tools, they lack the operational capacity, financial autonomy, and structural support to move from strategy to actionespecially in smaller, less-resourced areas. Human and Technical Capacity Gaps A major challenge is the shortage of skilled human resources. Many municipalities are under-staffed and overburdened. In small towns, two or three employees may manage all core administrative tasks. This limits project execution, disrupts continuity due to staff turnover, and weakens ownership when external consultants drive planning. The problem is worsened by the absence of long-term national support to help small municipalities become fully functional administrations. Technical expertise is another bottleneck. Cities often struggle with project development, procurement, and the monitoring requirements of EU funds. Without embedded assistance, the administrative burden deters smaller towns from applying for supportor leads to weak implementation. A critical but often overlooked issue is the lack of reliable, accessible data for planning and monitoring local energy and climate policies. While Eurostat offers data at national and regional levels, many essential datasetsespecially on energy and emissionsare missing for cities. There is no obligation for companies or institutions to share data with municipalities, and voluntary systems fall short. Local governments cannot assess needs or track progress without better data. Eurostat and relevant Commission DGs must expand the scope of city-level data and make it usable for local action. Financial Barriers and Systemic Challenges EU funding is vital, but current frameworks often dont match local needs. High co-financing, short project cycles, fragmented programs, and complex procedures are major obstacles. Small municipalities are especially disadvantaged by rules designed for larger actors. While innovation is promoted, many cities also need support for scaling up proven solutions. Theres a trade-off between funding innovation and enabling broad implementation. EU funding should be more accessible, flexible, and responsive to diverse local contexts. Governance and Regulatory Misalignment Despite their central role, cities are not structurally involved in shaping EU policies and funds. This disconnect creates contradictions between EU ambitions and urban realities, slowing delivery. A new governance model is neededbased on long-term, performance-based partnerships among the EU, Member States, and local governments. Cities call for inclusive, regular consultation mechanisms. This includes involving local authorities in designing laws and funding instruments, establishing feedback loops to flag implementation challenges, and creating a dedicated urban reference group within DG REGIO. Local voicesespecially from small and medium-sized townsmust be systematically represented in EU policymaking. Conclusion: A Shift from Projects to Partnership The European Green Deals success depends on cities, yet they are treated as implementers rather than strategic partners. The EU must shift from fragmented, short-term efforts to a coherent, long-term model that enables sustained local action through investment, regulatory reform, and inclusive governance. A truly multi-level approachwhere local, national, and EU institutions co-create and co-deliver solutionswill be essential to achieving a just, green, and resilient Europe.
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Response to Review report on the Governance Regulation of the Energy Union and Climate Action

28 Jul 2023

The new Regulation did not manage to put in place the necessary mechanisms to address the insufficient national efforts to offer early public consultations concerning the draft NECPs. While the Commissions EU-wide assessment of NECPs, stated that early involvement of local authorities for continued public consultation and transparent planning is of utmost importance and claimed that the plans have been subject to extensive consultation with stakeholders, in-depth research on the matter tells a much less affirmative story. The report by Ecologic Institute and Climact: Planning for net zero: assessing the draft national energy and climate plans, scored countries on their public consultation processes for the NECPs and demonstrated many Member States did not provide sufficient time or meaningful stakeholder engagement processes in 2019. More recently, despite the European Commission emphasizing the importance of such dialogue to Member States in the December 2022 guidelines, only a number of Members States have involved local authorities in drafting the NECPs. An April 2023 report by Climate Action Network Europe and WWF confirmed that 14 out of 23 EU Member States surveyed had failed to provide any form of public consultation. Climate Alliance has supported efforts of local authority representatives to participate in consultations and multi-stakeholder platforms on the NECPs but offers by Member States have been either very limited, usually poorly run or indeed non-existent. In that context, Climate Alliance welcomes a review of the Governance Regulation to address the above. The NECPs should provide space for vertical integration of climate and energy policies and local authorities should not be consulted only at certain intervals when an NECP is up for review, but the consultation process should have a permanent standing. Climate Alliance recommends including legally-binding language for ensuring a standing consultation processes with local authorities for meaningful public participation as an obligation in the process. As well, laying out consequences in the Regulation for when a Member State does not adhere to the crucial obligation of inclusive participation would be welcomed, since the NECPs that have fundamental consequences for stakeholders, local authorities and civil society alike. Climate Alliance recommends that the European Commission intervene if the involvement of stakeholders is not adhered to. The co-legislators should strengthen the obligations included in Article 11 and call for mandatory timely discussions with stakeholders on NECPs within the framework of such dialogues. In this way, the active engagement of local and regional authorities in multi-level climate and energy dialogues can ensure that the National level climate and energy policies are reviewed by representatives of local authorities for checking implementation viability at local level. Local authorities across Europe are contributors to achieving the national targets and are a natural partner to national governments in the implementation of actions, and implementation is what is needed most only then do targets become meaningful. The dialogue through Art 11 can serve as an instrument to look closer at how local authorities can contribute to achieving the national targets on the one hand (and here already undertaken action planning at the local level through SECAPs under the Covenant of Mayors or other local action plans and strategies, are instrumental) and on the other hand, how the national governments can facilitate implementation at the local level by creating an enabling environment for implementation that could take the form of policies, measures, legislation but also targeted and tailored funding allocation for implementation by local authorities. In this way the Governance Regulation needs to better provide the appropriate framework towards strengthening multi-stakeholder governance and to strengthen implementation efforts.
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Meeting with Olivier Smith (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen) and Eurocities and

5 Feb 2020 · Climate Pact, Covenant of Mayors

Meeting with Ivo Schmidt (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič)

17 Jan 2019 · Biofuels and Palm Oil

Meeting with Peter Van Kemseke (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič) and Eurocities and Energy Cities

7 Sept 2016 · Global Covenant of Mayors: Next steps

Meeting with Maroš Šefčovič (Vice-President) and

6 Sept 2016 · The role of the local level in the governance of the Energy Union

Meeting with Peter Van Kemseke (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič)

20 Jun 2016 · Global Covenant of Mayors

Meeting with Peter Van Kemseke (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič)

5 May 2015 · COP 21